The U.S. Department of State issued an urgent security alert on March 3, with Mora Namdar, the State Department’s assistant secretary for consular affairs, telling Americans in a wide swath of the Middle East and Gulf to “depart now” using “available commercial transportation.” Complicating matters, travelers may face sudden disruptions from periodic airspace closures.
Photo: ElenVD/Shutterstock
State Dept Urges Americans to “Depart Now” From Parts of the Middle East as Airspace Closures Disrupt Flights
Countries and territories named in the “depart now” alert
- Bahrain
- Egypt
- Iran
- Iraq
- Jordan
- Kuwait
- Lebanon
- Oman
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
- Syria
- United Arab Emirates
- Yemen
- Israel
- West Bank
- Gaza
The @SecRubio @StateDept urges Americans to DEPART NOW from the countries below using available commercial transportation, due to serious safety risks. Americans who need State Department assistance arranging to depart via commercial means, CALL US 24/7 at +1-202-501-4444 (from… pic.twitter.com/vdplAik2Sq
— Assistant Secretary Mora Namdar (@AsstSecStateCA) March 2, 2026
New travel advisories have temporarily shut or restricted airspace, and major airports have reduced operations, leaving some travelers stuck mid-itinerary. News reports also describe attacks on US facilities in the region, including drone strikes that damaged parts of the US Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and incidents affecting US personnel and infrastructure elsewhere.
If you’re traveling in or through the region, verify your destination’s current advisory level on the State Department site, enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) for location-specific alerts, and assume your routing could change with little notice — especially connections through major Gulf hubs.
Air service is already harder to come by. Qatar Airways says its flight operations remain temporarily suspended due to the closure of Qatari airspace. Delta has also paused New York (JFK) to Tel Aviv flights amid the conflict.
If you’re holding tickets anywhere in the region, check for waivers before you cancel — many airlines are allowing date changes without typical fees during the disruption window. 