The U.S. State Department has called on American citizens to depart more than a dozen countries right away as Iranian retaliatory attacks intensify
The U.S. State Department has released an urgent alert for U.S. citizens to leave over a dozen Middle Eastern countries immediately, pointing to “serious safety risks” as Iran’s retaliatory strikes on U.S. and Israeli targets keep escalating.
In a Tuesday post on X, Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Mora Namdar said Washington “urges Americans to LEAVE NOW from the following countries using available commercial transport, due to serious safety risks.”
The alert applies to Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. U.S. citizens needing help with commercial departures are told to contact the State Department’s 24-hour hotline and sign up for the STEP program to get security updates.
This advisory comes as Iran has carried out targeted attacks on U.S. bases and assets throughout the Gulf region in response to the unprovoked U.S.-Israeli strikes that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several senior commanders on Saturday.
The retaliatory attacks have also hit key regional aviation hubs, such as Dubai International Airport – the world’s busiest – where damage and casualties were recorded, plus locations near international airports in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Iraq.
In reaction, Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE have declared partial or full airspace closures, triggering widespread travel chaos across the region with more than 3,400 flights canceled across seven major Middle Eastern airports, affecting hundreds of thousands of passengers.
Social media videos have depicted overcrowded terminals across the region, with stranded travelers sleeping on airport floors. Dubai Airport has been described as a “massive waiting room,” with transit passengers accounting for nearly half of those trapped.
Russian airlines, including Aeroflot, have also canceled or rerouted flights, suspending services to Tehran, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi. According to the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR), approximately 8,000 Russian tourists have been stranded abroad after missing Middle East connections.