We need more updates, say British nationals stuck in Middle East

British citizens currently stuck in the Middle East have told the BBC there has been a lack of information about available routes to travel home as Iran's retaliatory strikes across the region continue.

Teigan McFadden's flight home from Dubai on Tuesday was cancelled and the 21-year-old says she is running out of her heart medication, while another family told the BBC they were stranded in Oman after their flight from Malaysia was diverted.

Air travel in the Middle East has been severely disrupted since Saturday, with thousands of flights cancelled.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper told MPs on Tuesday that the "safety and security" of British nationals was a "top priority".

Darren Jones, chief secretary to the prime minister, told BBC Breakfast that people should register their presence with the Foreign Office for the latest government advice and updates.

"There will be consular support available to people including on the ground and we've sent officials there to help with extra capacity in the region," he added.

Flights have been cancelled across the region since Saturday when the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran has retaliated with attacks across the region.

McFadden, from Belfast, told the BBC she registered with the Foreign Office but was yet to receive any information.

She said: "I signed up for the government email and the only email I've had is 'thank you for signing up for this'. I've had no updates from the government on what is going on.

"I feel like I'm in the grey area. My airline hasn't contacted me much, I had to contact them to find out my flight was cancelled... I have no idea when I'll actually get home."

McFadden has remained inside her Dubai hotel since the weekend and described the situation as "petrifying".

She added that she was running out of medication for a heart condition known as Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, with the stress making it worse and causing her to lose consciousness.

"On Saturday I was blacking in and out, I didn't know what to do," she said.

Layla Wildon, 44, her husband Andrew, and two children - Ophelia, 10, and Elysia, eight - were on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Doha, Qatar, on Saturday when they were diverted to Muscat in Oman "for safety reasons". The family had been due to fly from Doha to London and return home that day.

Wildon said the family were "mid-air" when their flight changed course due to the closure of the airspace over Qatar.

She told the BBC they had heard nothing from the airlines. The family has been put in a hotel but does not have access to their luggage.

"I completely appreciate that this is a difficult time for all involved, including airline staff," Wildon added.

"However, some form of contact to give an indication of options would make a huge difference."

Layla and Andrew are trying to work remotely and are worried about finding a kennel for their dog back in Canterbury. The family said they were also unable to get food or drink in Oman until sunset as it is Ramadan.

They have been unable to register their presence and sign up for government updates as the service is not currently available for those in Oman.

A government charter flight has been scheduled to take off from Muscat, Oman "in the coming days", Cooper said on Tuesday, adding that British nationals should wait to be contacted by the Foreign Office.

"We are also working with airlines on increasing capacity out of Muscat for British nationals, with priority for vulnerable nationals," she told the Commons.

Cooper told the BBC on Monday that there were an estimated 300,000 British citizens in Gulf countries.

On Tuesday, the foreign secretary said 130,000 British nationals had signed up for the Register Your Presence programme which is available in Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Palestine, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

While many Brits remain stranded, some flights to the UK have been operating out of Dubai.

Some Emirates flights have departed for London Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester.

Flights out of Qatar remain suspended due to the closure of airspace in the region.

British Airways cancelled its timetabled flights to London Heathrow from Abu Dhabi, Amman, Bahrain, Doha and Dubai on Monday.

The airline told passengers that safety was its "top priority". Passengers with bookings on certain routes up to 15 March are being allowed to amend the date to fly on or before 29 March.

Additional reporting by Kris Bramwell