The State Department on Tuesday ordered the mandatory departure of nonemergency personnel and family members in six countries in the Middle East over growing security concerns after two Iranian drones struck the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia.
Officials also urge Americans across the region to depart as soon as possible, though many airports are shuttered and other transportation options are limited. If they can't leave, they should shelter in place until further notice as Iran retaliates across the region in response to the U.S.-Israel attack.
The State Department created a task force to help U.S. citizens after the weekend strikes by the U.S. and Israel on Iran and Iran’s retaliatory efforts. But as a growing number of U.S. embassies and consulates suspend routine and emergency services, Americans still in the region have been left with limited options.
Airports in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates and Doha, Qatar — including Dubai International Airport, one of the busiest in the world — are important hubs for travel between Europe, Africa and the West to Asia. All three were directly hit by strikes, according to The Associated Press.
Oliver Sims, 24, a content creator from Dallas, got stuck in Doha on his way back from a friend’s wedding in India. He contacted the U.S. Embassy there but said it couldn’t offer him any immediate assistance.
“They had so many emergency calls coming in, so they had to hang up on me,” he told NBC News.
Sims got in touch with his senator, John Cornyn, whose office reassured him it was aware of his location. “They said they’ll let me know of any plans to extract U.S. citizens,” he said.
Sims said he feels relatively safe and has been able to work remotely from his hotel room in Doha, but his parents are worried.
“My parents are constantly calling” he said, asking whether he’s OK and whether there’s any other way he can get out of the country. For now, Sims is staying calm, but he hopes to get back to Dallas in time to celebrate his 25th birthday Saturday.
In a video on X, Secretary of State Marco Rubio outlined how Americans can get in touch with State Department officials.
“Our No. 1 priority is the safety and the security of American citizens everywhere in the world,” Rubio said.
But a recording on the phone number Rubio recited to help Americans says: "Please do not rely on the U.S. government for assisted departure or evacuation at this time. There are currently no United States evacuation points."
Later Tuesday, State Department officials said they were working on charters and military aircraft for Americans who wish to leave and had been in touch with nearly 3,000 Americans abroad.
The U.S. embassies in Jordan, Bahrain, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE were operating with limited staffs.
The embassy in Saudi Arabia was closed after the drone strike, which did limited damage and caused no injuries. In Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar and UAE, the U.S. embassies are also warning of potential drone or missile strikes from Iran.
In Kuwait, the embassy was closed and Americans have been told to stay indoors. In Jordan, diplomatic staff members were temporarily evacuated Monday over a threat.
The State Department issued a “worldwide caution” alert for all Americans overseas Saturday, the first since June 22, after the U.S. intervened in the 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran. The State Department doesn’t reveal its diplomatic footprint, so it’s unclear how many Americans are stationed in the Middle East.
On Monday, State Department officials urged Americans to depart from Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the UAE and Yemen.
President Donald Trump has suggested the war could last a month or longer. U.S. and Israel have struck multiple targets, including Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps command and control facilities, Iranian air defense capabilities, missile and drone launch sites and military airfields. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several lieutenants were killed in the attacks.
Iran’s Red Crescent said nearly 800 people were killed in Israeli and American strikes. Six U.S. service members died in action, and 11 people were killed in Israel as Iran fired back.
In Bahrain, after a strike on the Crowne Plaza Hotel in the capital city, Manama, Americans were warned to avoid all hotels as they may be targets for attacks. The U.S. Embassy remained closed, and all regular and emergency consular appointments were canceled.
In the UAE, Qatar, Iraq and much of Pakistan, U.S. consular appointments were also suspended.
In Kuwait, where there is a continuing threat of missile and drone attacks, the State Department has told Americans not to go outside but instead to take cover at home in the lowest floor away from windows.
The Kuwait airspace remains closed, and all consular appointments for U.S. visas and American Citizen Services have been canceled until further notice.
Americans hoping to leave Jerusalem were told the U.S. Embassy is “not in a position at this time to evacuate or directly assist Americans in departing Israel.”
But Tuesday, a State Department official said it had helped over 130 American citizens depart, with roughly 100 expected to leave Tuesday. Hundreds of Americans have left already.
Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv remained closed, with no options for commercial or charter flights.
Chris Elliott and his 17-year-old daughter, Riley, of Lexington, North Carolina, traveled to Jerusalem with their pastor, David Robinson, on a religious pilgrimage last week, only to be stranded after the strikes. They’ve been sheltering in their hotel room and going underground as retaliatory strikes continue.
“Just a couple of days into our adventure here, it turned dark, and we heard over the phones that all of a sudden we’re in the middle of a war zone,” Elliott told NBC News. “And now we’re stuck here and we can’t find a way home. We’re begging for somebody in the States to help us out.”
They said they heard it was possible the airports would reopen by Friday, but it wasn’t clear.
“As of now, we’re still just sheltering in place in Jerusalem and waiting on an opportunity to get back home,” Robinson said.
