U.S. pulls staff from Middle East posts

WASHINGTON — The State Department ordered non-emergency U.S. government personnel and family members to leave the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq and Jordan and shut or curtailed several diplomatic missions as the conflict with Iran escalated, Reuters reported. The department also urged Americans to depart a wider set of Middle East countries amid heightened security risks, according to CBS News.

The order follows drone attacks on the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia that caused a small fire and prompted a temporary closure, while the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait canceled consular appointments and shut its doors until further notice, according to Reuters and CBS.

Evacuation orders and travel warnings

The mandatory departure applies to six countries, and a broader advisory urged Americans to leave 14 or more nations across the region, including Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, as outlined by CBS News and Al Jazeera.

The State Department formed a task force for U.S. citizens and urged travelers to use available commercial transportation if possible, though airport closures and disrupted routes have limited options, according to NBC News.

Embassy operations curtailed

U.S. embassies in Jordan, Bahrain, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE are operating with reduced staffing, while Kuwait’s mission remains closed, according to NBC and Reuters.

In Israel, the U.S. Embassy said it is not positioned to evacuate Americans and advised citizens to make their own security plans, while U.S. officials in Saudi Arabia told residents in key cities to shelter in place, according to Reuters and CBS.

Conflict drives security measures

The U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict has widened across the region, prompting heightened security precautions and restrictions on non-essential travel to U.S. military installations, Reuters said in its account of the diplomatic drawdown.

The Associated Press reported that Iranian drones struck the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh and that Washington has urged citizens to leave more than a dozen Middle East countries, a message highlighted in PBS NewsHour’s report.

Officials said the U.S. is working on charter flights and possible military transport for Americans who want to depart, but assistance is limited and travelers may need to shelter in place if they cannot leave, according to NBC News.

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