The U.S. State Department is now urging American citizens to flee a slew of countries across the Middle East on commercial flights, despite the fact that airspace remains shuttered and flights grounded in seven of these countries.
Assistant Secretary Mora Namdar said in a statement posted on X that Americans should “DEPART NOW” from 14 countries “using available commercial transportation, due to serious safety risks.”
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
These countries are: 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.
At the time of publication, however, commercial flights remain suspended or severely restricted in Bahrain, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE.
There are, however, some signs of hope that commercial flights could resume in some of these countries:
- Israel partially reopened Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport, but national flag carrier El Al is prioritizing repatriating Israelis back to the country, and European and North American airlines have suspended flights to Israel.
- Bahrain has been pounded by Iranian ballistic missiles and kamikaze drones, and there are currently no plans to reopen its airspace
- Kuwait has also taken a beating from Iranian strikes and has not announced any plans to open its main airport, which was also struck by a drone attack on Saturday.
- Qatar will provide a further update to restore air services to and from the country on Tuesday morning
- The United Arab Emirates resumed a very limited number of flights from Abu Dhabi and Dubai on Monday afternoon, but these flights are ‘invite only,’ and passengers are urged not to travel to the airport unless they are confirmed on a flight.
The State Department did not provide any advice for what American citizens should do if they find themselves in a country like Bahrain, but anyone stranded and without means to find a commercial flight is urged to contact the department for consular support on +1-202-501-4444 (from abroad).
American citizens in the Middle East are also being urged to register their presence in the region by enrolling in the State Department’s Smart Traveler program to receive the latest updates from the local embassy closest to them.
The Trump administration has not given any indication of how many American citizens might be stranded in the Persian Gulf, and there are currently no plans for the US government to arrange emergency repatriation flights.
Some Americans are already taking matters into their own hands and traveling on the road to nearby countries where commercial flights are still operating.
Americans in Abu Dhabi and Dubai have been traveling for up to seven hours to Muscat, Oman, where airspace remains open, while Americans in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar have been traveling across the Saudi Arabian desert to Riyadh, where flights are operating.
Despite Monday’s warnings for Americans to leave, official travel advisories for many of the named countries remain at the lower end of the threat scale.
Saudi Arabia and the UAE, for example, remain at Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution, while Bahrain and Kuwait are at Level 3: Reconsider Travel.
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