US Citizens Middle East: "Depart Now" Order as Iran War Enters Day 5
This is the biggest breaking international story in years. The United States is at war with Iran, thousands of American citizens are stranded across the Middle East, and the State Department is scrambling to get them home. Here is the complete update as of Thursday, March 5, 2026.
State Department Issues "Depart Now" Order for 14 Countries
The U.S. Department of State has urged all Americans to immediately depart more than a dozen countries in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar, amid escalating U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran.
Americans were urged to depart Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. More than one million Americans were believed to be in the region when the order was issued.
State Department Assistant Secretary Mora Namdar posted on X that Americans need to "DEPART NOW" from the listed countries using available commercial transportation due to serious safety risks — even as options to leave narrowed dramatically with flight cancellations and airport closures across the region.
How the War Started: U.S. and Israel Strike Iran
The U.S. and Israel began attacking Iran on Saturday in what President Trump described as the "last best chance" to address the threat posed by Iran's ballistic missiles and nuclear program. Trump said he ordered strikes to destroy Iran's missile capabilities, annihilate Iran's navy, and prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
On Saturday, the U.S. and Israel carried out a barrage of strikes on Iran, killing many top officials, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Tehran retaliated with its own strikes across the region.
The war stretched into a fifth day Wednesday, with Israel launching a new wave of strikes in Tehran as public mourning for the slain supreme leader began. The U.S. has deployed 50,000 troops, 200 fighter jets, and two aircraft carriers in the Middle East, according to U.S. officials, with more capabilities on the way.
Americans Stranded: Frustration and Fear on the Ground
Americans stranded across the region expressed deep frustration about the lack of guidance. One American in the UAE told CNN: "Do we head to the airport? Do we stay sheltered in place? The directive of the U.S. government is completely unclear — they are saying to shelter in place but also to seek out commercial flights — and there was no advance warning that a war was about to break out."
One stranded American, Evelyn Mushi, 52, was traveling from Chicago to Bali when she landed in Abu Dhabi mid-conflict. She was bused to a hotel and described hearing bombing at the airport shortly after arrival.
An American stranded in Israel, Chris Elliott from Lexington, North Carolina, was on a religious pilgrimage to Jerusalem with his 17-year-old daughter and their pastor when strikes began. They have been sheltering in their hotel room and going underground as retaliatory strikes continue.
Evacuation Efforts: Military and Charter Flights Underway
The State Department confirmed that over 9,000 American citizens safely returned from the Middle East in the first days of the conflict, including over 300 from Israel. The Department is facilitating charter flights from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan and will waive any statutory requirement for Americans to reimburse the government for travel expenses.
A CIA station inside the U.S. Embassy compound in Riyadh was struck during a drone attack. Two drones hit the complex, causing structural damage and smoke contamination, though no injuries were immediately reported.
Close to 2,000 flights have been canceled as of Wednesday afternoon, adding to thousands of international cancellations since Sunday. Lufthansa suspended flights to Dubai, Tel Aviv, Beirut, Amman, and other regional cities through at least March 8.
Congressional Alarm Grows
After a closed-door briefing with senior Trump administration officials Wednesday, Sen. Richard Blumenthal said he was "more fearful than ever" the U.S. could end up putting boots on the ground. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Chris Van Hollen also raised concerns about escalation and called for greater public accountability.
Americans needing State Department assistance should call +1-202-501-4444 from abroad or +1-888-407-4747 from the U.S. and Canada, available 24 hours a day.
