British nationals in Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Palestine, Qatar and United Arab Emirates have been urged to register their presence to receive updates from the Foreign Office.
The government has previously used registration schemes to provide urgent updates to people affected by international crises but the number of people and countries affected in this case is unprecedented.
Cooper told BBC Breakfast the situation was “deeply stressful” for those affected.
She urged people to follow local advice, which in most countries was to shelter in place.
Asked if the government was planning to launch an evacuation, Cooper said: “We are in close contact, for example, with the travel industry, with airline companies and airports and also with the governments in the region.”
She added: “But we will need to provide updates for people as we go along… That’s why we’re encouraging people to register their presence so we know where they are so we can get information to them swiftly.”
Cooper said that in previous similar situations the government had wanted to work with airline companies so people could fly home in the normal way.