US advises Americans immediate departure from Middle East nations

Louisse Kalingag·5 March 2026, 6:01 am·1 min read

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US advises Americans immediate departure from Middle East nations — A smoke cloud erupts in the background from an explosion as people walk with bags of humanitarian aid they received at a distribution centre run by the US and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), as they cross the so-called "Netzarim corridor" in the central Gaza Strip, on August 22, 2025. The United Nations officially declared a famine in Gaza on August 22, the first time it has done so in the Middle East, with experts warning 500,000 people face "catastrophic" hunger. UN agencies have long been warning of the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, particularly as Israel steps up its offensive against Hamas.
Eyad BABA / AFP

The United States is urging its citizens to immediately leave more than a dozen countries in the Middle East because of “serious safety risks” amid the widening conflict involving Israel and Iran.

In a post on X, Assistant Secretary Mora Namdar of the United States Department of State said the department is advising Americans to leave using available commercial transportation.

The travel alert came as US President Donald Trump said military operations against Iran could last “four to five weeks” and possibly longer.

The advisory covers Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

"The @SecRubio@StateDept urges Americans to DEPART NOW from the countries below using available commercial transportation, due to serious safety risks. Americans who need State Department assistance arranging to depart via commercial means, CALL US 24/7 at +1-202-501-4444 (from abroad) and +1-888-407-4747 (from the U.S. and Canada)," she wrote.