United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio | Photo: AP
Early on Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on Americans to leave Middle Eastern countries—including Iran, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Gaza, the West Bank, and the United Arab Emirates—by commercial means, citing "serious safety risks.”
Taking to X, the Assistant Secretary at the US State Department, Mora Namdar, wrote: “The @SecRubio @StateDept urges Americans to DEPART NOW from the countries below using available commercial transportation, due to serious safety risks. Americans who need State Department assistance arranging to depart via commercial means, CALL US 24/7 at +1-202-501-4444 (from abroad) and +1-888-407-4747 (from the U.S. and Canada). ENROLL in http://step.state.gov to get the latest security updates from the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.”
The announcement comes at a time of heightened instability across the Middle East, as the UAE Ministry of Defence confirmed it had intercepted what it described as a “third wave” of Iranian missile strikes aimed at both civilian and military infrastructure, Indian Express reported.
The escalation follows a direct military confrontation involving Iran, Israel, and the United States, with Tehran carrying out large-scale aerial attacks in response to ongoing regional hostilities.
The advisory covers Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel — including the West Bank and Gaza — Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
The US State Department issued helpline numbers to assist American citizens, stating that support would be provided to help them arrange commercial departures from affected Middle Eastern countries.
It also encouraged citizens to enrol in the Smart Traveller Enrollment Program, explaining that the free service allows travellers to register their international trips so the Department of State can contact them quickly and accurately in case of an emergency, and share security updates from US embassies or consulates.
Earlier on Tuesday, the UAE said it was actively working to intercept a significant missile barrage launched by Iran.
As Israel and the United States continued their strikes on Iran in a campaign that President Donald Trump indicated could last several weeks, Tehran and its allies retaliated by targeting Israel and Gulf states, including sites considered vital to global energy production.
Observers noted that the scale of the attacks, the reported killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and the absence of a clear exit strategy appeared to be setting the stage for a prolonged conflict with potentially far-reaching consequences.