US urges citizens to leave Middle Eastern countries, including Israel, as war with Iran escalates

The United States has urged its citizens to immediately leave more than a dozen Middle Eastern countries, including Israel, due to safety risks as it continues its war on Iran.

The US State Department “urges Americans to DEPART NOW from the countries below using available commercial transportation, due to serious safety risks,” Assistant Secretary Mora Namdar said in a post on social media platform X.

The ministry listed Israel, the occupied West Bank, and the Gaza Strip, as well as Iran, Lebanon, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.

The announcement indicates the US fears for the imminent safety of its citizens following the Iranian retaliatory strikes on US interests in the region.

Many critics have, however, questioned the US directive to its citizens, as many of the affected countries have closed their airspaces as a result of the war.

The latest war started on Saturday when the US and Israel launched a large-scale offensive against Iran, sparking a regional escalation as Tehran fired retaliatory missiles at US bases and interests in several Middle Eastern countries.

The US has confirmed the death of six American soldiers from the Iranian attacks and has lost three fighter jets, which crashed in Kuwait.

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American and Israeli attacks on Iran have led to over 550 deaths in Iran, including its leader, Ali Khamenei, and about 185 schoolgirls who were killed when their school was hit by missiles.

In Israel, ten people have been confirmed killed in Iranian strikes.

US President Donald Trump has announced that the war could last over 40 days as he continues to change the goal post of what America’s exact mission in Iran is.