Tens of thousands of people, from Romanian religious pilgrims to tourists and family members of diplomats, have traveled across the Middle East as the Iran war has spread across the region.
Major airlines have canceled flights to and from the region and airspace across the Gulf has been closed. Some of those stranded have been forced to seek shelter amid airstrikes, while others are currently stuck on cruise ships unable to travel through the Strait of Hormuz.
In a major move on Monday, the US State Department urged all US citizens to leave more than a dozen Middle Eastern countries over security risks that have dragged the region into significant chaos.
US Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Mora Namdar said on Social Forum X that Americans in countries including Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Israel should “exit now” using any commercial transportation available.
The State Department has evacuated emergency personnel and families in six countries, adding the United Arab Emirates to its list on Tuesday. The UAE, home to Dubai and Abu Dhabi and considered a safe corner of the Middle East, has been dragged into the Iran war with sanctions and attacks.
In Israel, meanwhile, the US ambassador told Americans there that the best way to leave would be through Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula.
Mike Huckabee wrote on social media early Tuesday that the embassy was receiving numerous evacuation requests as embassy staff were “sheltering in place.”
“There are very limited options,” he wrote. “Uncertain when Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv will reopen.” He advised the Americans to take buses to the Egyptian resorts of Sharm el-Sheikh and Taba in South Sinai.
Governments try to get citizens home
Governments around the world are scrambling to repatriate their citizens.
In Italy, the government helped with flights to Milan and Rome amid growing criticism of Defense Minister Guido Crocetto. The minister sparked political controversy at home after being stranded in Dubai with his family during the early stages of the US-Israeli attack on Iran.
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Crocetto returned to Rome on Sunday in a military plane. The left-wing opposition has called for Crosetto’s resignation, saying he should not travel to the Middle East during the crisis. Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni has defended him.
An estimated 30,000 German tourists remain on cruise ships, in hotels or at closed airports in the Middle East, and the first flight from Dubai to Frankfurt, Germany, is expected to land on Tuesday afternoon.
The German government is trying to charter flights at taxpayers’ expense to bring home vulnerable people, including sick passengers, children and pregnant women.
France is also trying to return thousands of French nationals, the country’s foreign affairs minister said on Tuesday. An estimated 200,000 French people live in the region affected by the conflict, and officials believe that approximately 25,000 French citizens are currently visiting the region.
Returning travelers feel relieved
Early Tuesday morning, Romanian tourists arrived in Bucharest after traveling from Israel to Cairo to escape the conflict. Hundreds of Romanian Orthodox Church pilgrims were stranded in Israel while visiting Bethlehem led by Romanian priests when the war broke out. The group was forced to cut their trip short and return to Romania.
Pilgrim Mariana Muikaru said she was terrified as rockets flew in the sky during her time in Israel.
“We called our kids at 3 a.m. to apologize and tell them we love them and let them know it’s over for us because we could die,” she told The Associated Press.
The night before, British passengers stranded in the United Arab Emirates were relieved to land safely at London’s Heathrow Airport.
Adam Barton, who was traveling with his family from Abu Dhabi, said he was getting alerts as he was at the airport before departure.
“We have an alert on our phone, telling us to stay away from the windows for possible missile attacks,” Barton told Sky News.
Meanwhile, a flight from Dubai landed in Serbia’s capital Belgrade with around 200 passengers on board early on Tuesday.
One passenger told state broadcaster RTS that he was waiting at the hotel and given 15 minutes to pack.
© 2026 The Canadian Press
(tags to translate)Iran
