The United States Department of State on Monday urged all American citizens to depart several Middle Eastern countries as escalating hostilities heighten security risks across the region.
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Mora Namdar said in a post on X that Secretary of State Marco Rubio is advising Americans to “DEPART NOW” using available commercial transportation due to serious safety concerns.
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… pic.twitter.com/vdplAik2Sq
— Assistant Secretary Mora Namdar (@AsstSecStateCA) March 2, 2026
The advisory lists multiple countries affected by the conflict, including Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Israel.
The warning comes as regional tensions intensify following U.S. and Israeli strikes, which prompted Iran to launch retaliatory attacks targeting oil facilities and American military bases.
To all American citizens in the Middle East: your safety and security is our number one priority.
Sign up to receive STEP alerts at https://t.co/SpQfuj4gN2.
Get information at @TravelGov and you can call the department 24/7 at +1-202-501-4444. pic.twitter.com/G8grZVgmCF
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) March 2, 2026
Meanwhile, several international airlines have suspended flights to and from parts of the Middle East, sharply reducing commercial air traffic as missiles and drones traverse regional airspace, further complicating travel and evacuation efforts.
Four days into the conflict, more than 9,500 flights have been canceled at seven major airports in the Middle East. Over 1.5 million passengers have been affected at an average of 160 passengers per flight.
Following retaliatory Iranian strikes in response to U.S. and Israeli attacks targeting energy, diplomatic and defense facilities, airspace across Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Syria, Jordan and Israel was closed.
On Monday alone, approximately 3,500 flights were canceled, while Lebanese airspace was partially reopened.
Air travel between the Middle East and other regions has been severely disrupted. South Asian nations such as Pakistan and India — which have millions of nationals living and working in the wealthy Gulf states — also experienced hundreds of flight cancellations.
Major Pakistani cities, including Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad, were affected by widespread cancellations, with losses from travel disruptions and tourism estimated to run into hundreds of millions of dollars.
Iftikhar Ali is a veteran Pakistani journalist, former president of UN Correspondents Association, and a recipient of the Pride of Performance civil award
Asim Tanveer is a seasoned journalist working for TV and electronic and print media outlets. He has been working for some of the world’s leading news organizations including Associated Press (AP), Reuters, BBC, CNN, CNBC, Star TV, Voice of America and The New York Times for more than 30 years. He has won several awards for his live coverage of events that include a Reuters News Agency World Award and the Pride of Performance award in 1997.
