British nationals remaining in Tehran have criticised the UK government for providing no assistance or instructions following Israeli attacks on Iran, with several expressing anger at being left without embassy support.

Multiple British citizens told bne IntelliNews they received no guidance despite the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's (FCDO) advice for Britons to leave the country. The British embassy has withdrawn staff from Tehran, according to the local expatriate magazine Living in Tehran on June 20.

"We had to contact the embassy in Azerbaijan via email to hear back from anyone, which is a shame," one British national in Tehran said.

Another British worker in Tehran told IntelliNews: "They haven't even sent us an SMS to check if we are alive."

Upon learning the embassy had evacuated without informing remaining British nationals working in Tehran, one person described it as an "absolute ****show."

The FCDO website advises British nationals to leave Iran but provides limited practical assistance for those seeking to depart amid ongoing regional conflict and adding to its previous statements advising all British nationals to avoid Iran due to the fear of arrest or arbitrary detention. Despite this, many families have remained in the Islamic Republic due to business and family connections.

“Due to the current security situation, we have taken the precautionary measure to temporarily withdraw our UK staff from Iran. Our embassy continues to operate remotely,” the embassy said in its latest statement.

British citizens report feeling abandoned by their government whilst navigating closed airspace and limited transport options following the escalation between Iran and Israel.

The embassy evacuation has left remaining British nationals without consular services or direct communication channels in Tehran, with only an email to contact the British despite internet being cut off for several hours.

Several Britons expressed frustration at having to rely on third-country embassies for basic information about their safety, with one saying "the US advice on which exit routes to Turkey and Azerbaijan are more up to date than the British government's."

Another family said they had struggled as one of the couple was an Iranian national whilst the spouse was British and they worried that they would be split up due to the British government's policies.

Iranian airspace remains closed to civilian flights, complicating evacuation efforts for remaining foreign nationals seeking to leave the country.

British nationals described feeling "completely forgotten" by UK authorities during the crisis.

Other Europeans have faced significant difficulties as consular services shut down as the war with Israel continues into a second week.

Embassies including Swiss, Irish, South African and Bulgarian have shut operations and evacuated their foreign workers, according to the latest advice by those countries.

One German national speaking with IntelliNews on condition of anonymity said that they were contacted by officials in their respective embassy and given advice on the situation days ahead of other countries.

Other states including Thailand and Sri Lanka have advised their respective citizens to evacuate the Iranian capital to other cities including Amol and Rasht in the Caspian Sea region of the country to avoid the ongoing conflict but have not offered direct air evacuations.

European and Asian governments have come under increased criticism from their citizens stranded in Iran who have remarked that their compatriots situated in Israel have had ships and airlifts to escape Iranian missiles.

Another person speaking with IntelliNews said "I have noted that the German military has helped dual Israel-German nationals out but the same service has not been offered to us here in Tehran."

Many foreign residents have been able to leave through routes including Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey, but according to IntelliNews reports from the Turkish border, the queues to leave the Islamic Republic have taken several hours in most cases as locals as well as foreigners have escaped the war.

Azerbaijan has continued its Covid-era policy of closed land borders, however, has made exceptions for foreign nationals fleeing Iran who have a specific code to enter the neighbouring republic to the north.

Another British-Iranian family said to IntelliNews that they were unsure they would be able to leave the country as reports from the Azerbaijani border suggest that Iranian passport holders would not be able to leave.

Speaking with people close to the border, Azerbaijani reports suggest large numbers of Iranian families have been unable to enter the country, despite previous suggestions it was open.