Despite the Foreign Office's advice, Swedes continue to travel to Iran, according to Foreign Minister Tobias Billström (M).
Something he now strongly opposes.
"To put it bluntly, when the Foreign Office advises against travel, it is a clear signal that the security situation is serious and can quickly deteriorate further", writes Tobias Billström in a comment to TT.
According to the Foreign Minister, the Foreign Office has very limited opportunities to assist if something were to happen in the country.
He particularly urges individuals with both Swedish and Iranian citizenship to be cautious, as Iran considers them solely as Iranian citizens.
"I want to urge everyone to take the Foreign Office's travel advice seriously. In short, do not travel to countries that the Foreign Office advises against. This applies to Iran. But it also applies to Lebanon, where the travel advisory is even more severe, and the Foreign Office is urging Swedes to leave the country", he writes.
According to the Foreign Office, at least 2,000 Swedes are estimated to be in Lebanon right now, despite the advisory issued last October. Furthermore, more than 5,000 Swedes are expected to travel to the country in the coming weeks.
According to information from the Foreign Office to SVT, it is unclear exactly how many Swedes are travelling to Iran, but it is estimated to be several hundred people.
