Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Americans in over a dozen countries in the Middle East to leave as soon as possible due to serious safety concerns amid the escalating conflict in Iran.
Assistant Secretary Mora Namdar revealed the order on Monday, urging Americans to leave the following countries in the Middle East:
- Bahrain
- Egypt
- Iran
- Iraq
- Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza
- Jordan
- Kuwait
- Lebanon
- Oman
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
- Syria
- United Arab Emirates
- Yemen
The order came after Iran escalated missile attacks in the Middle East when the United States and Israel killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in an attack over the weekend. As the New York Times reported, Iran directed its fire onto various U.S. bases throughout the Gulf region:
Iran has struck at least six U.S. military facilities around the Middle East since the United States and Israel began attacking the country on Saturday, according to a New York Times analysis of satellite imagery, verified videos and statements by U.S. military officials.
It’s unclear how many munitions Iran launched at the locations or how many attacks may have been thwarted, but the incidents raise questions about these sites’ abilities to defend against future strikes.
Facilities in Bahrain, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates, plus three sites in Kuwait, were hit on Saturday and Sunday. Several structures, including satellite communications equipment, were damaged or destroyed.
According to the Military Times, at least six U.S. service members have been killed, with another 18 wounded. President Donald Trump said the death toll will likely rise as the conflict escalates over the next three to four weeks.
“Sadly, there will likely be more before it ends,” the president said in a six-minute video. “[W]e’ll do everything possible where that won’t be the case, but America will avenge their deaths and deliver the most punishing blow to the terrorists who have waged war against, basically, civilization.”
