(Bloomberg) -- The U.K. raised the threat level for its armed forces and diplomats in Iraq because of an increased security risk from Iran, according to two people familiar with the matter.

The move by the British government follows a decision on Wednesday to order its non-emergency government employees to leave Iraq amid increasing Middle East tensions.

The Ministry of Defence refused to confirm the new threat level, first reported by Sky News, but said in a statement that “we keep the security of our deployed personnel and assets under constant review.”

The U.K “has long been clear about our concerns over Iran’s destabilizing behavior in the region,” it said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Jessica Shankleman in London at jshankleman@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Tim Ross at tross54@bloomberg.net, Thomas Penny

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