JERUSALEM (dpa-AFX) - After President Donald Trump issued a warning that the 'big wave' of the United States' attack on Iran is yet to come, the US State Department ordered non-emergency personnel in Jordan, Bahrain, Iraq, Qatar and Kuwait to depart.
It also urged American citizens currently in the Middle East to leave immediately.
In a message posted on X Monday, the State Department's Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs, Mora Namdar urged Americans to 'DEPART NOW' from 15 countries in the Middle East using available commercial transportation, due to serious safety risks.
The countries specified in the alert are Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
'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 message says.
Separately, Secretary Of State Marco Rubio released a video message emphasizing that the safety and security of American citizens is the Department of State's highest priority.
'At my direction, the Department has activated a 24/7 task force that is providing American citizens with up-to-the-minute safety and security information.'
He urged all Americans located abroad, particularly those in the Middle East, to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) at step.state.gov to receive the latest messages and updates from their nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate.
U.S. citizens overseas are also urged to follow the State Department's 'Security Updates for U.S. Citizens' channel on WhatsApp and to follow @TravelGov on social media. The latest alerts can be found at travel.state.gov as well.
President Donald Trump told CNN the 'big wave' of the US attack on Iran is yet to come, while Marco Rubio told reporters that 'the hardest hits' on Iran are 'yet to come from the U.S. military.'
As the Israeli military launched fresh attacks on Iran and Lebanon's military targets, the U.S. embassy in Riyadh was hit by two drones, apparently from Iran, reports say.
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