As the war rages between the United States-Israel and Iran, the conflict has dragged in several other Middle Eastern countries. The joint military strikes conducted by United States and Israel as part of Operation Epic Fury have killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
In its aftermath, the United States Department of State has issued a directive to all Americans in the affected region to leave 14 countries immediately.
The Department of State has issued a regional security alert of the highest order to all Americans. The alert is aimed to ensure the safety of their citizens in the region, as Iran has been bombing surrounding countries to retaliate against the strikes in Tehran and other major cities.
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
Iran has reportedly carried out retaliation attacks, with strikes being reported in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, among others. Assistant Secretary of State Mora Namdar shared a post on social media platform X, listing the 14 countries that Americans are advised to leave immediately.
Notable countries on the list include Iran, Iraq, Israel, Qatar, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, among others. Namdar announced that commercial transports will be made available due to serious safety risks. Additionally, the post also provided phone numbers for contacting the State Department to arrange departure via commercial means.
According to the Department of State’s official website, the advisory for United States government employees and their family members in UAE states that they should leave the country immediately “due to the threat of armed conflict.”
Heartbreaking scenes from Iran as 165 elementary schoolgirls killed in Israeli-US airstrikes are buried. (Mehr) pic.twitter.com/hjkZxg4u1o
— World Vibe (@world_vibe_en) March 3, 2026
The advisory claimed that Iran has been extremely hostile towards the United States. Iran has been targeting locations in the Middle East associated with the United States, it stated. Hence, there has been an ongoing threat of drone and missile attacks and significant disruptions in commercial flights.
The advisory added, “The Iranian regime has publicly stated its intention to target locations in the UAE associated with the United States.”
Khaleej Times reported that authorities ordered have ordered non-emergency government staff and their families to leave Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq and Jordan. United States has reportedly shut down several diplomatic missions in nearby regions as tension with Tehran grew.
On March 3, the United States mission to Saudi Arabia was halted as Iran launched a drone attack.
Kuwait’s United States Embassy will remain closed until further notice, and all regular and emergency consular appointments have been cancelled. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has reportedly divided the military into 31 independent war units, which experts say might complicate the United States’ next move.
Iran’s next move will be unpredictable, according to experts, as each commander makes their own war decisions. While the United States struggles to minimize the loss of American lives, Israel and Iran have been bombing public sites, spreading the war across the entire Middle Eastern region.
