US State Department Urges Citizens to Leave Middle East Amid Severe Security Risks

Washington D.C. The US State Department has urged its citizens to leave the Middle East, citing severe security risks.

The department called on Americans to exit the region using available commercial flights. This warning includes Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, West Bank and Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. 

However, limited flights have become a major challenge for citizens trying to leave the region. According to FlightAware, more than a thousand flights had been canceled as of Tuesday morning. Thousands of international flights were also canceled on Sunday and Monday. The US Ambassador to Israel, Mike Hakeem, stated that options for American citizens to leave the country are extremely limited. He warned that the US Embassy is currently unable to rescue citizens or provide direct assistance. 

Airlines outside the region are also canceling or rerouting flights near conflict zones. According to maps from flight tracking website Flightradar24, the airspace over the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Israel, Bahrain, Iraq, and Jordan appeared almost empty on Tuesday morning.

Although some limited flights departed from the United Arab Emirates on Monday night, at least one flight heading from India to Dubai was reportedly forced to turn back mid-route. Meanwhile, other countries including Canada, the UK, and Australia are also advising their citizens not to travel to the region or to leave as soon as possible.