Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday urged its citizens to depart Iran and advised heightened caution throughout the Middle East due to ongoing security concerns.

Axar.az, citing Reuters, reports that the information was released by the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"Italians in (Iran) for tourism or whose presence is not strictly necessary are urged to depart," the ministry said in a statement, adding that travel to Iraq and Lebanon was also strongly discouraged.

Several other governments have issued similar alerts in recent days. Britain announced on Friday that it had temporarily withdrawn its staff from Iran and closed its embassy amid escalating regional tensions.

Meanwhile, the United States has significantly reinforced its military presence across the Middle East ahead of a potential strike on Iran, as negotiations between Washington and Tehran over the country’s nuclear program continue without progress.