China on Friday urged its citizens in Iran to leave the country and issued advisory against travel as tensions with the US continued to rise amid military buildup in the Persian Gulf.

"In view of the current security situation in Iran, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese Embassy and Consulates in Iran remind Chinese nationals to refrain from travelling to Iran," China's Consular Department said through Chinese social media company WeChat, The Caspian Post reports, citing foreign media.

It added that Chinese nationals "already in Iran should heighten security precautions and leave as soon as possible," according to the Beijing-based daily Global Times.

In recent weeks, the US has reinforced its military presence in the region and signaled the possibility of military action to pressure Iran to abandon its nuclear and missile programs and curb “its regional allies.”

Tehran has accused Washington and Israel of fabricating pretexts for intervention and regime change, and has warned it would respond to any military attack, even if limited, while insisting that sanctions relief must accompany any restrictions on its nuclear program.