The United States has issued an urgent advisory asking its citizens to “depart now” from more than a dozen countries in the Middle East because of “serious safety risks.” The warning comes as tensions rise after joint US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran and Iran’s retaliatory attacks on US allies in the Gulf.

In a video shared on X (formerly Twitter), US Secretary of State Marco Rubio asked Americans in the region to leave immediately due to growing security concerns.

“To all American citizens in the Middle East: your safety and security is our number one priority. Sign up to receive STEP alerts at http://step.state.gov. Get information at @TravelGov and you can call the department 24/7 at +1-202-501-4444,” Rubio wrote.

In another post on X, Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs Mora Namdar said the US Department of State was strongly advising Americans to leave the listed countries without delay.

“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 abroad) and +1-888-407-4747 (from the U.S. and Canada). ENROLL in http://step.state.gov to get the latest security updates from the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate,” the post read.

Countries covered under the advisory

The advisory, updated on March 2, covers Bahrain, Kuwait, Egypt, Lebanon, Iran, Oman, Iraq, Qatar, Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

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At the same time, the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that six US service members have been killed during the ongoing conflict in the Middle East after Iran’s initial attacks.

Current situation in Iran and the Gulf

The current situation follows coordinated US and Israeli airstrikes carried out on February 28 across several Iranian cities. The strikes targeted military command centres, air defence systems, missile bases and key government infrastructure. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the attacks, along with four senior military and security officials. Large explosions were reported in Tehran and other major cities.

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In response, Iran fired ballistic missiles and drones at US-linked targets and allied countries in the region, including Israel, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan. The retaliation has widened the conflict and increased risks for civilians and foreign nationals living there.

Earlier, US President Donald Trump said the United States would continue military operations against Iran to “eliminate the regime’s missile capabilities,” stop its nuclear programme and end its support for terrorism.