Nearly 3,000 Americans have been in contact with the U.S. State Department seeking to leave the Middle East after a “depart now” was issued for American citizens in the region, as American embassies and consulates in the region are being targeted.
“The State Department is actively securing military aircraft and charter flights for American citizens who wish to leave the Middle East,” according to an X post from Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs Dylan Johnson.
There are multiple reports that the U.S. consulate in Dubai, UAE, has come under attack in a suspected Iranian attack. Videos circulating on social media show a fire coming from the consulate.
On Monday evening, the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was attacked by two Iranian drones. The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Defense reported “limited fire and minor material damage to the building.”
Several U.S. embassies, consulates and military bases in the region have been under attack since Operation Epic Fury began early Saturday morning.
On Monday evening, the State Department issued a “depart now” list for over a dozen Middle Eastern countries, where a majority have seen some attacks from Iranian forces since the strikes began. The countries include: Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel (the West Bank and Gaza), Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
On Tuesday, the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, announced that “due to regional tensions,” it will be closed until further notice. A Beirut neighborhood has been subject to Israeli retaliatory attacks from the Iranian proxy terror group, Hezbollah, which is headquartered in Lebanon.
As of Tuesday afternoon, six U.S. service members have been killed in Iranian attacks since the U.S.-Israeli operation began.
