"Given the recent events in Iraq, the security situation in the entire Gulf region may change at any time, so the ministry of foreign affairs recommends caution in all travel and travel," according to a statement published on the Portal of Portuguese Communities.

The Portuguese government advised nationals to keep up to date about the news published in the media, as well as on the portal of the Communities and to pre-register the trip through the Travelling Registration app.

The note from the ministry also called on citizens to always avoid places of public demonstrations or agglomerations, should they occur, and recommends them to follow the guidelines of local authorities.

More than a dozen Iranian missiles were launched on Wednesday morning against two Iraqi bases with US troops in Ain al-Assad (west) and Erbil (north).

The attack was claimed by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards as a revenge operation in retaliation for the death of General Qassem Soleimani, commander of his Al-Quds force, on Friday in an airstrike in Baghdad ordered by US President Donald Trump.

Iranian state television reported that that military operation was named "Martyr Soleimani" and killed at least 80 US military personnel, but Donald Trump denied any casualties.

In a statement to the country, the US President said that Washington will step up economic sanctions against Iran but did not mention further military retaliation.

Portugal’s defence minister João Gomes Cravinho said that the Portuguese military in Iraq are out of any kind of danger, stationed over 200 kilometres from where the Iranian missiles fell.