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I know there are one or two ex-armed forces on here, and likely more than a few current, hoping maybe they can offer some advice.
One of my best mates is currently in Baghdad. He was over there for a family visit and then all the Israel-Iran stuff kicked off. He feels relatively safe at the moment but is assuming that the US is going to get involved at which point it's a different matter altogether. He's been texting me (presumably based on my work in a different middle eastern country) asking what would be the safest route out of Iraq, but I honestly don't know and don't know anyone who would.
Currently top of his list is a few thousand $ for a private security escort down to Kuwait then flight home, but is Turkey a better option? Or Jordan? Is private security needed or would a standard private transfer be OK?
Used to work for a company that provided exactly this advice. My engagement is totally out of date so I won't confuse things by offering half-remembered opinions from a long time ago.
Does your friend by any chance have travel insurance...? Did he book with a credit card?
I'll ask him. What options would that offer?
Can your friend get to their state's diplomatic mission/embassy?
They have plans for this sort of thing
I've asked him to get in touch with the British Embassy but I get the feeling from him that they're not treating things as an emergency at this point in time.
I've fired off a few WhatsApp/Signal messages to people I know in the close protection circuit. If I get anything back I'll shout.
Cursory Google and my own knowledge a safe-ish route could be north to Erbil (6-8 hours) Kurdistan, then potentially exit via Turkey. Personally I would consider self-drive unless he can source a trusted individual/service.
Is he of Iraqi descent? That may afford him greater freedom of movement without drawing ill-intentioned eyes. If not, then that route could be an option, but if he has the resource a suitably trained gentleman with a firearm should be a consideration, as low-vis as possible.
Overt CP draws eyes and can make someone who isn't a target a target.
For future reference I'd advise him to have an exit plan before he goes next time. 😉
From FCDO site:
Kurdistan Region of Iraq
FCDO advises against all travel to:
5KM from the border with Turkey, except for the town of Ibrahim Khalil and the Ibrahim Khalil border crossing accessed from the east via the Ibrahim Khalil road
Double post.
What's the restrictions on flights at the moment. Assuming the person is a UK resident ? If the poop hits, the air space will be restricted. If not worried at the moment, what's overland like to a port for Turkey ?
A colleague at work has family in Cyprus, and they can see the bombing in Iran at night. This is not good.
Thanks very much for that r_m. I'll pass on about heading north to Turkey via Ibrahim Khalil.
He's half-Iraqi but looks very much like your standard white Englishman. He's also ex-RAF (Tornado nav) so I would have thought he'd be better slightly prepared for matters of this kind...
What's the restrictions on flights at the moment. Assuming the person is a UK resident ? If the poop hits, the air space will be restricted. If not worried at the moment, what's overland like to a port for Turkey ?
A colleague at work has family in Cyprus, and they can see the bombing in Iran at night. This is not good.
That's a good shout first, quick Google looks like there's some chaos.
@TheFlyingOx Erbil has an airport, so he'd need to look at a transfers to major airport for a flight out or could also consider flight to Cyprus then UK carrier home.
Looks like all flights from Erbil were cancelled today, but I'll pass on the option as well. Much appreciated.
Thanks very much for that r_m. I'll pass on about heading north to Turkey via Ibrahim Khalil.
He's half-Iraqi but looks very much like your standard white Englishman. He's also ex-RAF (Tornado nav) so I would have thought he'd be better slightly prepared for matters of this kind...
So one line has come back. BIAP is still operating limited flights to Istanbul, my friend recommends flight from there to Istanbul and then onto UK.
He also advised sooner rather than later.
But if flight ticket availability is low, and he really wants out asap, he needs to either engage a security vendor for a road move, or essentially a private hire/chauffeur service, to get him across a border, potentially into Jordan for departure from Amman or the Turkey option.
Another added the quoted text. That also comes with a cost. I've asked for some recommendations.
This just in:
Amman has been pretty consistent with their flights out, I got 2 people out through there today.
Genuinely, this forum is incredible when people need information on the most unlikely and/or serious subjects.
I know there are one or two ex-armed forces on here, and likely more than a few current, hoping maybe they can offer some advice.
One of my best mates is currently in Baghdad. He was over there for a family visit and then all the Israel-Iran stuff kicked off. He feels relatively safe at the moment but is assuming that the US is going to get involved at which point it's a different matter altogether. He's been texting me (presumably based on my work in a different middle eastern country) asking what would be the safest route out of Iraq, but I honestly don't know and don't know anyone who would.
Currently top of his list is a few thousand $ for a private security escort down to Kuwait then flight home, but is Turkey a better option? Or Jordan? Is private security needed or would a standard private transfer be OK?
He feels relatively safe at the moment
If he's asking that now, and essentially on holliday? then jump on a plane before it gets worse?
Bit too late to ask if/when it becomes too late, no?
Skyscanner lets you do a search for “everywhere” as the destination which helps looking for options for flights.
Beirut seems to have very regular flights even today.
Saturday you have a choice:
Amman (Royal Jordanian), Beirut (MEA), Muscat (Oman Air), Dubai (flyDubai).
Turkish airlines also has a flight to Istanbul on Sunday (2am).
I had actually been looking up travelling to Baghdad after watching Itchy Boots biking through Iraq recently. If you need to go overland then I think I’d be heading South to Kuwait tbh.
Good luck!
edit: looks like flydubai flights are off.
More info on list of cancellations at https://aviationa2z.com/index.php/2025/06/18/over-30-airlines-suspend-flights-amid-israel-iran-airstrikes/
Hope that’s useful.
Looking at Flightradar24, Iraqi airways seems to still have flights operating. To Istanbul, Dubai, Jeddah, Sharjah, Antalya, Tbilisi.
http://www.iraqiairways.co.uk Looks like you might have to call to book so might be worth calling for info?
How did the old yellow pages ad go? "STW; we're not just here for the nasty things in life like a blocked drain...." - is there genuinely nothing that it doesn't know or have access to.
I may have had an opinion of what I might have labelled as 'mercenaries' in the past, but from what I've heard I'd buy these american gents a lot of beers if I met them.....my 'own' close protection story. No real details as not my story and also potentially may be subject to film rights (!) but a friend and partner decided to have a child by surrogacy (don't judge) and opted because of ties to the country to use a mother from a country that is shall we say regularly in the news. And at some point in the intervening period, that country found that its land border with an unfriendly neighbour had shifted such that the mother and child were now the wrong side of it.
Their story about being in contact with the mother with the sounds of shelling and small arms fire in the background, and then how M&C were extracted back into friendly territory - better than any film.
Here is one of Itchy Boots’ video from southern Iraq, doesn’t seem too difficult travelling around, just constant checkpoints that are annoying more than dangerous.
Sounds like the first thing your mate needs is some new threads suitable for the occasion...
I remember this book which offers some tips on how to get out of Iraq in a hurry.
I remember this book which offers some tips on how to get out of Iraq in a hurry.
If I recall the route got a 1/10 - would not recommend from the hikers?
Personally I'd not recommend a walk through the GIFA (great Iraqi **** all).
He's also ex-RAF (Tornado nav) so I would have thought he'd be better slightly prepared for matters of this kind...
I thought the RAF approach was to call room service for any problems arising? So this tracks really;-)
An update for any interested. He's currently in the mess room of a private security compound awaiting an escort down to Kuwait. Seems like he's not the only one who had this idea either.
Thanks for the info chaps - as above, there really isn't anything this place doesn't know.
Yeah he got back to the UK last night. He ended up in Kuwait just as Iran attacked the US airbase so had to wait a bit longer for his flight, but all seems to have gone ok
Good news buddy. 👌🏻