“Leave Immediately!” US Warns Americans Across 14 Middle East Countries After Iran Strikes UAE and Dubai

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged American citizens to "depart now" from 14 countries across the Middle East and nearby regions, warning of "serious safety risks" after Iran struck targets in the United Arab Emirates, Dubai and other Gulf cities in response to joint Israel-US military action.

Rubio said the State Department viewed the protection of nationals as its highest concern and asked those still in affected states to leave while commercial flights remained available, stressing that the advice covered several nations, including Egypt, amid rising tensions and continuing strikes.

US urges Americans to leave 14 countries over safety risks and depart now

In a video shared on X, Rubio repeated that the department’s main focus was citizen welfare and urged travellers and residents to enrol for official alerts, while also outlining how extra staff and resources had been deployed since the military campaign started on Saturday to provide updated security guidance for Americans.

"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 [phone]," Rubio posted on X while sharing a video message.

List of 14 countries

The security warning applied to Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates and Yemen, with Rubio saying Americans in these places should "depart now" and rely on commercial routes while they remain available amid fast-moving regional developments.

Region	Countries where Americans are urged to depart now
Gulf and neighbours	Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen
Levant	Israel, West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria
Others	Iran, Iraq, Egypt mentioned in wider advisory

Rubio condemned what were described as cowardly Iranian attacks on other Persian Gulf states and said US diplomatic missions had increased capacity since Saturday’s operations began, aiming to deliver faster safety information and consular help to citizens who might struggle to leave conflict zones quickly.

US urges Americans to leave and depart now using STEP and helplines

Assistant Secretary Mora Namdar separately posted contact details for those needing practical help to book flights, underlining that American citizens could reach officials at any time and could also register with nearby embassies through the government’s digital systems for rapid security updates.

"Americans who need State Department assistance arranging to depart via commercial means, CALL US 24/7 at [phone] (from abroad) and [phone] (from the US and Canada)," Assistant Secretary Mora Namdar posted on X.

The Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) is described by the State Department as a free service that lets US citizens and nationals record international trips, so embassies and consulates can contact them quickly with safety alerts or support if an emergency or sudden deterioration in security occurs.

US President Donald Trump said the bombing campaign that began Saturday would go on after the US-Israel alliance hit hundreds of locations inside Iran, while Rubio, speaking on Monday before briefing senior members of Congress, said the military goal focused on Iran’s ballistic missile systems rather than any ground invasion.

Rubio stated the aim was to remove Iran’s ability to use ballistic missiles and drones against US interests and partners, insisting air and other strikes could achieve this without deploying ground forces, while warning that the present phase of operations was not the final stage of pressure.

"The hardest hits are yet to come from the U.S. military. The next phase will be even more punishing on Iran than it is right now. The world will be a safer place when we're done with this operation," Rubio said on Monday.

"The bottom line is, no matter who governs that country a year from now, they're not going to have these ballistic missiles, and they're not going to have these drones to threaten us. That's the objective of this mission," he said.