LONDON, Jan 14 (Reuters) - The British embassy in Tehran has been temporarily closed, the government said on Wednesday.

“We have temporarily closed the British Embassy in Tehran, this will now operate remotely. Foreign Office travel advice has now been updated to reflect this consular change,” a government spokesperson said.

Britain’s ambassador and all consular staff were evacuated based on a security assessment and a decision to prioritise staff safety, a British official said.

The move comes as Iran’s leadership tries to quell the worst domestic unrest the Islamic Republic has ever faced, and with U.S. President Donald Trump threatening to intervene.

Britain and the United States withdrew some personnel from bases in the Middle East after a senior Iranian official said Tehran had warned neighbours it would hit American bases if Washington strikes.

(Reporting by Elizabeth Piper and William James, Editing by Franklin Paul and Will Dunham)