The State Department has urged US citizens to leave a dozen countries immediately amid escalating Iranian retaliatory strikes.
The US State Department has issued an emergency warning to American citizens to leave twelve countries across the Middle East immediately. “serious security risks” Iran’s retaliatory attacks against US and Israeli targets continue to escalate.
In a post on Tuesday X, Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Mora Namdar told the Washington “Due to serious safety risks, Americans are urged to depart the following countries now using available commercial transportation.”
The alert covers Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. Americans who need help with commercial departures are directed to call the State Department’s 24-hour hotline and register for the STEP program for security updates.
The advisory comes as Iran has launched targeted attacks on US bases and assets across the Gulf region in retaliation for an unprovoked US-Israeli attack that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several top commanders on Saturday.
The @SecRubio@Department of State Urges Americans to leave the following countries now using available commercial transportation due to serious safety risks. Americans needing State Department assistance arranging departure via commercial routes, call US 24/7 at +1-202-501-4444 (from… pic.twitter.com/vdplAik2Sq
— Assistant Secretary Mora Namdar (@AsstSecStateCA) March 2, 2026
Retaliatory strikes have targeted major regional aviation hubs, including Dubai International Airport – the world’s busiest – where damage and casualties have been reported, as well as sites near international airports in Bahrain, Kuwait and Iraq.
In response, Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE have announced partial or complete airspace closures, triggering widespread travel chaos across the region, with more than 3,400 flights canceled at seven major Middle Eastern airports, affecting hundreds of thousands of passengers.
Footage on social media showed overcrowded terminals across the region, with stranded passengers sleeping on airport floors. Dubai Airport is a “Large Waiting Room” About half of those caught were with transit passengers.
Russian carriers, including Aeroflot, have canceled or rerouted flights to Tehran, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, suspending services. According to the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR), approximately 8,000 Russian tourists are stranded abroad after losing connections to the Middle East.
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