Americans in Middle East should leave now, State Department says

The State Department is urging Americans in several Middle East countries to leave the region as the United States and Israel increase strikes against Iran.

Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Mora Namdar said in a March 2 post on X that the State Department "urges Americans to DEPART NOW" from more than a dozen Middle East countries, citing "serious safety risks." In addition to Iran and Israel, some of the countries listed include Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.

Also on March 2, the State Department updated travel advisories for six Middle East countries, imploring Americans to either reconsider or not travel at all to certain areas.

Days earlier, as war actions began in the region, officials issued worldwide caution for all Americans, not just in the Middle East.

State Department: Americans in these Middle East countries should depart now

According to Namdar, as of March 2, Americans in the following countries are being advised to depart the area now:

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

Secretary of State Marco Rubio also announced the following resources are available for Americans in the region:

• Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) at step.state.govto receive the latest messages and updates from the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate.
• For the latest alerts, follow the "Security Updates for U.S. Citizens" channel on WhatsApp, follow @TravelGov on social media or check travel.state.gov.
• Americans in the Middle East can contact the Department of State anytime at 1-202-501-4444.

See latest travel advisories for Middle East countries

On March 2 and 3, the State Department also updated travel advisories for some Middle East countries.

The latest update added advisories at either:

• Level 4: do not travel
• Level 3: urges to reconsider travel

Here are the newest travel advisories issued March 2 and 3:

• Iraq: Level 4
• Bahrain: Level 3
• Jordan: Level 3
• Kuwait: Level 3
• Qatar: Level 3
• United Arab Emirates: Level 3
• Israel, the West Bank and Gaza: Level 3
• Oman: Level 3
• Saudi Arabia: Level 3
• Pakistan: Level 3
• Cyprus: Level 3

Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at [email protected]. 

This story has been updated with additional information.