State Department tells Americans to “DEPART NOW” from Middle East amid Iran war

The U.S. Department of State on March 2 urged American citizens to "DEPART NOW" from multiple countries across the Middle East, advising they "use available commercial transportation, due to serious safety risks" and enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program for updates. The advisory, posted on social media by Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Mora Namdar, named Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. Headlines in some outlets described the order as affecting 14 countries; the verbatim lists across reports count 14 to 16 items depending on whether the West Bank and Gaza are grouped.

The warning follows a U.S.-Israeli campaign of strikes that President Donald Trump announced began on Feb. 28 and Iran's subsequent missile and drone reprisals across the region. Reuters reported the State Department activated an inter-agency emergency task force to coordinate the U.S. response. An original department statement provided to reporters said it was facilitating charter flights from Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the UAE for Americans, though operational details were not released publicly.

The advisory arrived as commercial aviation in parts of the region was disrupted. Broad airspace closures and widespread flight cancellations have made departures difficult, with the BBC noting Washington has not organized large-scale evacuations. U.S. diplomatic posts reported operational strains: Reuters said personnel at the U.S. Embassy in Amman had departed the site "due to a threat," and the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem advised it was not in a position to evacuate or directly assist Americans leaving Israel. The Jerusalem embassy later said Israel had begun operating shuttles to the Taba border crossing with Egypt but that the embassy "cannot make any recommendation (for or against)" using it.

A video posted to YouTube on March 3 attributed similar language to Marco Rubio and labeled him "US Secretary of State," a characterization that conflicts with other reporting naming Mora Namdar and the State Department as the advisory's source. The video transcript quoted Rubio as saying, "At the Department of State, our number one priority is the safety and the security of American citizens everywhere in the world" and that "at my direction, the State Department activated a 247 task force." That clip also used the phrase "Operation Epic Fury" and described Iranian attacks as "cowardly attacks." Those specific attributions and terminology appear only in the YouTube posting.

Humanitarian and public health consequences are immediate. The BBC estimates between 500,000 and 1 million U.S. nationals live in the Middle East, and many Americans abroad do not register with U.S. authorities, complicating outreach. France told its citizens it was ready to fly home those most at risk, and other governments urged registration with consular services; the UK said about 102,000 Britons had registered their presence in the region, while France estimates roughly 400,000 nationals there.

Medical providers, patients with chronic conditions, refugees and low-income migrant workers face acute risks if safe departures are impossible. Disrupted supply chains and strained hospital capacity can imperil treatment continuity for conditions from dialysis to insulin-dependent diabetes, and limited embassy capacity raises equity concerns for those without resources to purchase last-minute commercial seats or arrange private transport.

Critics have questioned the advisory's delivery and feasibility. Al Jazeera quoted one analyst saying, "This is not how this is done" and warning it was "not quite clear what this means, and exactly how Americans could leave the entire Middle East since commercial traffic has been interrupted so much because of all of the missiles." The State Department says it is mobilizing resources to assist U.S. citizens; officials should publish clear guidance on charter bookings, embassy hotlines and prioritized support to protect the most vulnerable.