JSFiddle - React, Tailwind, and code Playground

HTML

<a href="www.google.co.uk">gb version</a>
<a href="www.google.ie">roi version</a>
<a href="www.google.com">non-localised</a>

JavaScript

$('a').click(function(event)
{
   event.preventDefault();      
   openNewBackgroundTab($(this));
});

function openNewBackgroundTab(elem)
{
    var a = document.createElement("a");
    a.href = elem.attr('href');
    var evt = document.createEvent("MouseEvents");    
    evt.initMouseEvent("click", true, true, window, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, true, false, false, false, 0, null);
    a.dispatchEvent(evt);
}