American diplomatic missions across 11 Middle Eastern countries warned U.S. citizens to consider departing or be ready to leave as renewed fighting, airspace disruptions and attacks on regional shipping increase the risk of a wider conflict.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
U.S. embassies across the Middle East issued coordinated security warnings Saturday urging Americans to consider leaving the region or prepare for rapid departure amid concern that the war between the United States and Iran could escalate without warning.
The advisories were posted by U.S. embassies in Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates one day after President Donald Trump warned that Iran could be hit “very hard.”
“Americans in the region should consider departing, or be prepared to depart should there be escalation,” the security alert said.
The warnings advised U.S. citizens to confirm flight arrangements, follow instructions from local authorities and remain prepared for sudden transportation disruptions.
“Americans currently in the Middle East should exercise caution and heightened vigilance and should be prepared for flight cancellations, periodic airspace closures, and potential travel disruptions,” the alert said.
The United States and Iran have been at war since Feb. 28. A temporary period of relative calm followed a ceasefire, but hostilities later resumed as both sides returned to exchanging strikes. The continuing conflict has disrupted daily life across the region and created sustained volatility in global energy markets.
Country-specific instructions reflected the dangers facing Americans in different parts of the Middle East. U.S. citizens in Jordan were told to avoid military bases, several of which have recently been targeted by Iranian missiles. Americans in Israel were advised to identify the nearest bomb shelter.
“The Iranian regime is unpredictable, as seen by its recent decisions to attack areas in the region without warning or provocations as well as to expand attacks to areas not previously targeted (such as Egypt),” the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem said.
The U.S. Embassy in Beirut said it remained under “ordered departure status,” meaning family members and nonessential American government employees continued to be relocated outside Lebanon.
Iranian officials responded Saturday by accusing Washington of increasing regional tensions and warning governments against supporting American military operations.
“Any country serving as defensive shield for criminal and aggressive America will be engulfed by the flames of war,” Ali Abdollahi, head of Iran’s military central command, said in a statement broadcast on state television.
Mohammad Mokhber, an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, separately warned that attacks on Iranian infrastructure would produce consequences extending beyond conventional military calculations.
“You calculate through military equations, but we respond with the logic of history,” Mokhber wrote on X.
“Attacking Iran’s infrastructure directly awakens the fault lines on which 250 years of your hegemonic architecture have been built.”
The United States and Iran resumed overnight exchanges of fire last month following a lull lasting several days. No strikes were reported overnight from Friday into Saturday, but attacks elsewhere in the region continued to underscore the risk of broader escalation.
A drone struck a U.S.-owned gas vessel moored at an Egyptian port Wednesday, starting a fire. Egyptian authorities are investigating the incident but have not publicly accused any government or armed group of carrying it out.
An “unknown projectile” also hit a tanker off Oman’s coast, according to a British maritime agency, as the United States and Iran continued competing for control of the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has effectively controlled navigation through the strategic waterway since the war began, requiring ships to obtain authorization and pay transit fees before passing through.
Maritime trade intelligence company Kpler said Friday that vessel traffic through the strait had fallen “sharply.”
“With US and Iranian public positions still at odds, operators are closely monitoring traffic volumes, routing behaviour and any diplomatic developments that could reshape risk across regional shipping lanes in the days ahead,” Kpler said on X.
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most important routes for oil and gas shipments, making any interruption there a significant risk to global energy supplies.
The Bab al-Mandeb Strait has also gained greater importance as an alternative route for Saudi Arabian oil. Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels denied Saturday that they were attempting to charge ships for traveling through the passage.
Bab al-Mandeb links the Red Sea with the Indian Ocean and provides access to the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal, making it another critical corridor for international shipping.
The broader war began when the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran. Tehran responded with missile and drone attacks against targets throughout the region.
Fighting also continued along the Lebanon front Saturday. The Israeli military said it killed three Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon, while an Israeli soldier suffered moderate injuries during a “close-quarters encounter” with Hezbollah militants.
The embassy warnings indicate that U.S. officials are preparing for the possibility that the conflict could spread further, disrupt commercial aviation and place Americans at greater risk across multiple countries.
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