ROME, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Italy's foreign ministry on Friday urged its citizens to leave Iran and advised extreme caution across the Middle East, citing persistently unstable security conditions.
"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.
It advised Italian nationals in Israel to exercise maximum caution and remain vigilant.
Several governments have issued similar warnings in recent days. Britain said on Friday it had temporarily withdrawn its staff from Iran and closed its embassy amid rising regional tensions.
The United States has built up a large military presence across the Middle East ahead of a possible strike on Iran, as talks between the two countries over Tehran's nuclear ambitions continue with no sign of a breakthrough.
(Reporting by Claudia Cristoferi; Editing by Crispian Balmer)
