As tensions rise with Iran, U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee warned embassy staff in Israel to leave before it is too late.
Huckabee emailed staff at the U.S. Embassy in Israel the morning of February 27, warning them that if they wished to leave, they “should do so TODAY.” Huckabee did not explicitly mention Iran in the email but cited an “abundance of caution,” per The New York Times.
“There is no need to panic, but for those desiring to leave, it’s important to make plans to depart sooner rather than later,” Huckabee wrote, according to the outlet.
Huckabee encouraged staff to book flights from Ben-Gurion Airport in Israel to any destination they could find, citing likely “high demand for airline seats.”
“Focus on getting a seat to anyplace from which you can then continue travel to DC, but the first priority will be getting expeditiously out of country,” Huckabee wrote.
Amid an American military buildup in the Middle East, the U.S. held negotiations with Iran about its nuclear program in Geneva on February 26. Iran rejected President Donald Trump’s demands, but officials reported “significant progress,” per Fox News.
The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem changed its travel advisory on February 27, with an “authorized departure” of non-emergency government personnel and their families from Israel, citing “safety risks.”
“In response to security incidents and without advance notice, the U.S. Embassy may further restrict or prohibit U.S. government employees and their family members from traveling to certain areas of Israel, the Old City of Jerusalem, and the West Bank,” the advisory reads. “Persons may wish to consider leaving Israel while commercial flights are available.”
The advisory warned U.S. government employees are restricted from travel within seven miles of Gaza, and within 2.5 miles of the Lebanese and Syrian border in Northern Israel due to “continued military presence and activity.”
The State Department uses authorized departures to prepare for a potential ordered departure, typically in an emergency evacuation.
“Depending upon how events unfold, this may eventually transition to ordered departure,” the agency’s website reads. “Under an ordered departure, designated employees and EFMs [eligible family members] must leave post.”
The American military has been surging assets to the Middle East, suggesting a potential strike on Iran. Ahead of negotiations on February 26, as TIME reported, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned any conflict would lead to a “devastating war.”
“We have an armada… heading in that direction, and maybe we won’t have to use it,” Trump said the same day, according to Reuters.
The Dutch airline KLM suspended all flights to Israel starting March 1, citing “commercial and operational considerations,” as Haaretz reported.
On February 25, Australia ordered families of diplomats in Israel and Lebanon to leave, according to Reuters. It also offered voluntary departures for those in Jordan, Qatar, or the United Arab Emirates, citing a “deteriorating security situation.”
On February 27, the Chinese embassy in Tel Aviv warned citizens in Israel to take higher precautions and follow security guidance from authorities, according to state-run propaganda outlet China Daily. China warned its citizens in Iran the same day to evacuate as soon as possible.
