‘Depart Now’: US State Department urges Americans to get out of the Middle East

All Americans are being urged to leave more than a dozen countries in the Middle East immediately.

The warning from the US Department of State comes as US and Israeli strikes are escalating against Iran.

At airports across the country and at Boston’s Logan International, hundreds of flights to and from the Middle East have been canceled. The State Department updated its travel advisory for more than a dozen countries in the Middle East.

This is what the US Department of State issued Monday afternoon.

With the Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs posting on X, “depart now” from the countries listed due to serious safety risks.

Shortly after that post, Secretary of State Marco Rubio released a video on social media. He urged Americans in the Middle East to register with the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program and find a way to get out of the region as quickly and safely as possible.

“Now, with what’s going on in the Middle East with Operation Epic Fury and the cowardly attacks that we’re seeing from Iran against Gulf countries, I wanted to take this chance to speak directly to Americans who are in the Middle East about the work we are doing to try to keep you safe,” said Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The US and Israel began their strikes on Iran on Saturday, killing many top officials, including Iran’s supreme leader. Iran has been firing missiles back at US sites in the area and at other countries in the Middle East.

It’s unclear how long the travel advisory for the Middle East will last. Yesterday, President Trump said the conflict is projected to last four to five weeks, but it could go on for longer.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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