US urges citizens to consider leaving Middle East amid heightened tensions

The US on Saturday urged Americans to consider leaving the Mideast if regional tensions and hostilities continue to escalate.

Security alerts issued by the US embassies in Jordan, Iraq, and Israel and the US Consulate General in Erbil, northern Iraq, conveyed the advisory.

“Americans currently in the Middle East should exercise caution and heightened vigilance and should be prepared for flight cancellations, periodic airspace closures, and potential travel disruptions,” the embassies said in security alerts posted on US social media company X.

It also advised Americans outside the Mideast to “seriously reconsider travel to and through the region.”

The embassies warned that “Iran and groups supportive of Iran may target other U.S. interests overseas” and described the situation in the Middle East as “fluid.”

“U.S. Embassy Amman advises all Americans to avoid travel to military bases in Jordan,” said the US Embassy in Jordan’s capital, urging citizens to monitor official warnings and follow instructions from Jordanian authorities.

The warning came amid heightened tensions and hostilities between the US and Iran, as CBS News reported, citing officials saying that Washington is planning new strikes on Iran this weekend.

Earlier Saturday, Kuwait said it intercepted Iranian drones targeting a government facility and civilian vehicles, while a tanker was struck by an unknown projectile off the coast of Oman near the Strait of Hormuz. No casualties were reported in either incident.