Travel In and Out of the Middle East: What the US Government Is Telling Americans?

Last weekend, President Donald Trump’s administration joined Israel in launching coordinated strikes against Iran, with combat operations targeting Iranian military infrastructure and leadership.

In response, as reported by Iranian state media, the country retaliated with missile strikes against U.S. bases in countries including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.

Hundreds of protesters in San Francisco swiftly rallied to condemn the United States and Israel for launching what many experts consider unlawful attacks in Iran over the weekend, which also killed leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and civilians. Trump has refused to offer a firm timeline for the bombing campaign in Iran, suggesting it could last over a month and beyond.

The ongoing conflict has led to closed airspace over the Middle East region and a slew of travel advisories from the United States government, which has urged Americans to immediately leave the affected countries.

Keep reading for what to know about traveling in and out of the Middle East, what advice the federal government is offering Americans in the region and what airlines are saying.

• Jump straight to: Where can U.S. citizens in the Middle East get official advice and assistance?

What should Americans know about air travel right now?

The Gulf countries are major hubs for international travel, with carriers including Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways offering layovers to many other countries. Some flights from San Francisco to New Delhi, for example, may have a stop in Doha or Dubai.

Several airports in the region have been hit by the strikes, resulting in damage, suspended flights or severely limited departures, including:

• Dubai International Airport in Dubai: According to the DXB X account, “If your airline has not confirmed your flight is operating, please do not travel to the airport. You will be turned away without confirmation.” The airport provides more information on its social accounts. On Wednesday, it clarified that “Most flights remain suspended.”
• Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi: According to a notice on the AUH X account, “passengers are advised not to travel to the airport unless they hold a confirmed ticket and have been advised by their airline to do so. Airport access will be restricted to confirmed travellers only.”
• Kuwait International Airport in Kuwait: Local media reported over the weekend that arrivals and departures are postponed. The airport’s official channels have not provided updates since the strike, but media reports state that there have been dozens of flight cancellations.

Many airlines have said they are either canceling or suspending flights to the region entirely, causing panic and confusion for travelers. Flight tracking website Flightradar24 offers a real-time map of regions where airspace is closed, as well as updates on social media.

Passengers and airlines can expect airspace in the region “to be shut for quite some time,” Eric Schouten, head of aviation security advisory Dyami, told Reuters on Saturday.

Countries impacted by the strikes may have also closed their airspace and limited their airlines’ operations. The latest post on the social media platform X from Hamad International Airport, one of the busiest airports in the world, based in Qatar, stated that “passengers are advised not to proceed to the airport.” (Etihad Airways reiterated similar guidance on Tuesday.)

Airspace has been mostly closed over Qatar this week — but on Thursday, Qatar Airways gave an update stating that it “has started to organise and operate a limited number of relief flights to assist passengers.” Impacted passengers will be contacted directly by Qatar Airways.

In an earlier notice, the airline said that Qatar Airways bookings between Feb. 28 and March 10 are eligible for “complimentary date changes of up to 14 days from the original travel date, or a refund of the unused value of your ticket” — but urged passengers to “only contact us if you’re travelling within the next 48 hours,” warning of “high call volumes.”

In a Thursday update, Emirates said that “with the limited re‑opening of airspace, Emirates is operating a reduced flight schedule until further notice.” Updates and available flights can be found on its travel updates page, and customers with earlier bookings will be accommodated first.

In an earlier advisory to customers, the airline added that people should not go to the airport unless notified and should regularly check on the status of their flight. Passengers can also rebook “another flight to your intended destination for travel on or before 20 March” or request a refund directly with Emirates. If a customer booked with a travel agency, they need to contact the agency.

What travel advisories has the U.S. government issued to Americans in the region?

On Wednesday evening, the Trump Administration released an updated list of its Middle East security advisories:

Level 4: Do not travel

• Iran
• Iraq
• Syria
• Gaza
• Lebanon

Level 3: Reconsider travel

• Bahrain
• Israel
• West Bank
• Jordan
• Kuwait
• Oman
• Qatar
• Saudi Arabia
• United Arab Emirates

Level 2: Exercise extreme caution

• Egypt

Iranians protest against attacks on Iran by Israel and the United States on Feb. 28, 2026, in Tehran, Iran. Iran launched a wave of missiles at Israel and regional U.S. military sites in response to the attacks, in which the U.S. and Israel struck a series of locations across the country.There may be specialized travel advisories for different countries — including ones not listed above, like Pakistan — and you can find the latest updated travel advisories on the Department of State’s website or on its active X account.

Where can U.S. citizens who are currently in the Middle East get official advice and assistance?

On Monday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio released a video message saying that at his direction, the Department of State “has activated a 24/7 task force” to “help provide American citizens with up-to-the-minute safety and security information.”

The video repeated the Department’s previous guidance, which stated that Americans in the “Middle East region who need consular assistance” can contact the agency by calling +1-202-501-4444 from overseas. Callers from within the U.S. or Canada should call +1-888-407-4747.

Previously, callers to these numbers were met with a voice message that said “Please do not rely on the U.S. government for assisted departure or evacuation at this time” and that “there are currently no United States evacuation points.” As of Wednesday afternoon, callers now have the chance to be put in a queue to talk to a representative from the Department of State. Callers are asked to state whether they need assistance in Israel, Iran or other parts of the Middle East.

In the event of ongoing military action, the message tells Americans to shelter in place until it is “safe to move about freely.”

The Department of State also maintains a “Security Updates for U.S. Citizens” WhatsApp channel, where American citizens can join a chatroom and get direct messages and notices.

Updates are also being shared on the Department of State Consular Affairs’ social media accounts. The agency also recommended that Americans in the Middle East enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive updates from the nearest U.S. embassy. It takes around 20 minutes to create a free account.

On Wednesday evening, the agency also released a crisis intake form for American citizens in Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Israel. Completing the form allows people to receive updates on charter flights and ground transportation.

What has the U.S. government said about evacuations?

As of Thursday, according to a statement from Department of State Assistant Secretary Dylan Johnson, “nearly 20,000 American citizens have now safely returned to the U.S. from the Middle East” since Feb. 28. That figure, Johnson added, does not include Americans who have left the region for other countries or are in transit to the US.

On Tuesday, the agency said it was facilitating charter flights from the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Jordan. It added that commercial options “remain available” in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman and Egypt and the “Department is actively helping American citizens book those tickets.”

“For those in countries lacking commercial aviation availability, the Department is facilitating travel to third countries as conditions allow,” said the Department of State, noting that this “includes increasing ground transportation options for American citizens wishing to leave Israel.”

On Monday, the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem shared details of shuttles to the Taba Border Crossing being operated by the Israeli Ministry of Tourism, and how to register for access through the Ministry’s evacuation form — but stressed, however, that the embassy was not “in a position at this time to evacuate or directly assist Americans in departing Israel.”

The Department of State said it is also waiving “any statutory requirement for American citizens to reimburse the government for travel expenses.”

In recent days, the Trump administration has faced criticism for its response to U.S. citizens living in the region. In an interview Monday with CNN, Randy Manner, a retired major general who is currently unable to leave the UAE, said that Americans “feel abandoned.” Manner added the State Department was  “in survival mode … because as we know, the administration reduced their budget by almost one half over the past year.”

In a Tuesday morning post on X, before the Department of State that day announced it would arrange charter flights, California congressman Ted Lieu pointed to the Italian government’s evacuation of its citizens in the Middle East, asking Rubio, “Why are other countries able to get their citizens out of danger?”

In response to Rubio’s press conference on Tuesday, Lieu then wrote that the Trump administration had “made no secret of amassing military forces and equipment near Iran for weeks and weeks and weeks,” and questioned why Americans had not been asked to register through the STEP process earlier — calling it a “massive dereliction of duty” and an “unacceptable lack of planning.”

Nearly every member of the Bay Area congress delegation said they will vote yes on a resolution calling for Trump to end the action against Iran unless he seeks authorization from Congress. The resolution was co-authored by South Bay representative Ro Khanna.

“The world needs a new moral vision. America needs a new vision,” Khanna said on the House floor Wednesday. “We are seeing militarism erode the soul of our nation, leading to a regime change war in Iran and utter human devastation in Gaza.”