U.S. adds 13 countries

The State Department has put 13 Middle East destinations into a single crisis-travel framework and is telling some Americans there to leave now. (travel.state.gov) The page now groups Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen under “Consular Information for Americans in the Middle East.” It tells Americans to follow embassy guidance and contact the department for help with travel options to return safely. (travel.state.gov) Qatar was updated to Level 3 on March 2, 2026, with the department ordering non-emergency U.S. government staff and family members out and saying Americans there are “strongly encouraged to depart now.” The advisory cites armed-conflict risk, suspended routine consular services in Doha, and threats to civil aviation after hostilities between the United States and Iran began on February 28. (travel.state.gov) Oman’s advisory was updated again on April 9, 2026, but kept at Level 3. It says the March 13 ordered departure of non-emergency U.S. personnel remains in effect and points to drone and missile threats, flight disruptions, and a separate “Do Not Travel” warning for the Yemen border area. (travel.state.gov) Saudi Arabia’s Level 3 advisory, updated March 13, says non-emergency U.S. personnel were ordered out on March 8 and warns of Iranian drone and missile targeting, terrorism, exit bans, and local laws tied to social media activity. The department says commercial flights are still operating from Saudi Arabia, but service has been “significantly disrupted.” (travel.state.gov) Bahrain and Kuwait are also in the same regional push. Bahrain’s advisory says non-emergency U.S. personnel and families were ordered out on March 2, while Kuwait’s says the embassy suspended operations on March 5 and remains on ordered-departure status. (travel.state.gov, travel.state.gov) Jordan’s advisory says non-emergency U.S. personnel and family members were ordered out on March 2 because of safety risks tied to the same regional fighting. Egypt appears on the new Middle East page as part of the 13-country list, but its public travel-advisory landing page does not show the same ordered-departure language visible on some Gulf state advisories. (travel.state.gov, travel.state.gov, travel.state.gov) This is an expansion of the department’s standard advisory system, which ranks destinations from Level 1 to Level 4 and says advisories can be updated when conditions change or when the U.S. government changes staffing because of security concerns. The Middle East page adds a regionwide layer on top of those country-by-country notices. (travel.state.gov) The department has also issued a separate Worldwide Caution saying airspace closures may disrupt travel and that diplomatic facilities, including some outside the Middle East, have been targeted. For Americans still in the region, the standing advice is to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, monitor embassy alerts, and make plans that do not depend on a U.S. government evacuation. (travel.state.gov, travel.state.gov)