The United States State Department on Tuesday ordered non-emergency personnel and their families to leave Bahrain, Jordan and Iraq amid escalating retaliation between Iran and US-Israeli forces.
In updated travel advisories posted on X, the department said it had directed the “ordered departure” of non-essential government personnel and family members from Bahrain and Jordan, citing heightened security risks.
For Iraq, the department said it had ordered non-emergency US government employees to leave due to security concerns. The update did not reference family members in that directive.
Tensions have intensified following joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran over the weekend, which Tehran claimed killed dozens of civilians and its supreme leader, triggering retaliatory attacks.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they targeted a US air base in Bahrain, according to a statement carried by state media. In Iraq, hundreds of protesters reportedly attempted to storm Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone — home to the US embassy — following the killing, prompting heightened security measures.
In Jordan, the US embassy in Amman temporarily evacuated staff after warning of unspecified threats. Authorities there said more than a dozen missiles had been intercepted since Iran began retaliatory strikes.
Separately, the US embassy in Saudi Arabia confirmed it had been attacked and announced temporary closure, urging citizens to avoid the facility and shelter in place.
The US embassy in Kuwait also said it had suspended operations until further notice, cancelling routine and emergency consular appointments due to ongoing regional tensions.