State Department Evacuates Staff, Tells Americans to Leave Middle East

The U.S. State Department has withdrawn non-essential personnel from multiple embassies across the Middle East and is urging all American citizens to immediately exit the region. However, with major airports closed due to ongoing U.S.-Israeli military operations against Iran, thousands of Americans remain stranded with limited evacuation options.

The State Department announced Tuesday it is withdrawing non-essential staff from American diplomatic missions throughout the Middle East while calling on U.S. citizens to immediately exit the region, even as ongoing military operations have severely limited travel options.

Federal officials have ordered the evacuation of non-emergency government workers and their families from American embassies in Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Jordan. Similar evacuations had already occurred at diplomatic posts in Lebanon and Israel.

On Monday, the department issued urgent advisories for American citizens in 16 Middle Eastern nations to depart immediately using “available commercial transportation.” However, the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem stated it could not provide assistance to Americans attempting to leave the area.

California Congressman Ted Lieu criticized the evacuation guidance on social media, writing: “You told Americans to depart now via commercial means when you know many airports/airspace are closed.” Lieu demanded that Washington immediately arrange government evacuation flights for stranded citizens, adding: “Maybe you should have thought of a frickin’ plan first.”

The U.S.-Israeli air campaign against Iran, which began Saturday, has created global disruptions to energy markets and international aviation. Iranian drone strikes targeted the American embassy in Saudi Arabia overnight.

As Washington continues what many consider one of the most significant military actions in recent years, the United States currently lacks Senate-confirmed ambassadors in numerous regional countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq, Egypt, Kuwait, Algeria, and the UAE.

Key aviation centers in the Gulf region remain shuttered for the fourth consecutive day Tuesday, including Dubai’s international airport – typically the world’s busiest for international travel, processing more than 1,000 daily flights. The closures have left tens of thousands of travelers stranded while ticket costs have skyrocketed.

“The U.S. Embassy is not in a position at this time to evacuate or directly assist Americans in departing Israel,” the embassy posted on social media. Officials noted that citizens could register for shuttle services operated by Israel’s Ministry of Tourism to reach the Taba border crossing into Egypt.

Embassy officials emphasized they cannot guarantee the safety of this evacuation route. “The U.S. Embassy cannot make any recommendation (for or against) the Ministry of Tourism’s shuttle. If you choose to avail yourself of this option to depart, the U.S. government cannot guarantee your safety,” the statement read.

The State Department has not responded to inquiries about specific departure methods for Americans given the lack of commercial flight availability.

Department officials said Monday they had activated an inter-agency task force to handle the crisis and established a dedicated WhatsApp communication channel that has attracted 15,000 users. No mention was made of government-assisted citizen evacuations.

Oil prices jumped approximately 7% Tuesday, marking the third consecutive day of increases as the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran expanded. Former President Trump posted on social media overnight that America possesses a “virtually unlimited supply” of military equipment and that “wars can be fought ‘forever,’ and very successfully, using just these supplies.”