The U.S. State Department on Monday issued an urgent advisory calling on American citizens to “depart now” from more than a dozen countries across the Middle East, as U.S.-Israeli military operations against Iran entered their third day with no signs of slowing.
Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Mora Namdar posted the warning on X, listing Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen as countries Americans should leave immediately using commercial means “due to significant safety concerns”.
A War Widening Fast
The evacuation advisory comes as the conflict that began on February 28 — when the U.S. and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iran under the codenames Operation Epic Fury and Operation Roaring Lion — has rapidly engulfed the broader region. The opening attacks killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and President Trump has described the campaign’s aims as destroying Iran’s missile capabilities, dismantling its navy, and ultimately toppling the regime.
Iran retaliated by launching drones and ballistic missiles across the Persian Gulf, striking at U.S. military bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, as well as targeting Israel. On Monday, Hezbollah fired projectiles from Lebanon into northern Israel for the first time since the conflict began, with the Israeli military calling it “an official declaration of war by Hezbollah”. Six U.S. service members have been killed in the fighting so far, according to U.S. Central Command.
Aviation in Chaos
The practical challenge of leaving the region is immense. Airspace closures have created what aviation analysts have called a “hole in the sky” over the Middle East. More than 2,000 flights have been cancelled to and from seven major Gulf airports, including Dubai International, Hamad International in Doha, and Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International — all of which were directly hit by Iranian strikes over the weekend. Iran’s airspace remains closed until at least March 3, and Jordan has imposed nightly closures through March 5.
Major carriers including Turkish Airlines, Air France, British Airways, Lufthansa, and Delta Air Lines have suspended or severely curtailed service to the region, with some cancellations extending into mid-March. A limited number of Etihad repositioning flights departed Abu Dhabi on Monday to help evacuate stranded passengers.
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