US Orders Evacuation of Embassy Staff Across Middle East as Iran Retaliates

The United States State Department has ordered the mandatory departure of non-emergency government personnel and their families from Bahrain, Iraq and Jordan, as Iran launched sweeping retaliatory strikes following last weekend's joint US-Israeli military assault on the country.​

The State Department updated travel advisories for Bahrain and Jordan on Tuesday, ordering the departure of non-emergency staff and eligible family members. Iraq received a similar order a day earlier on Monday. The US Embassy in Jordan went further, temporarily evacuating all personnel from its Amman compound after citing an unspecified but direct security threat.

The crisis deepened when drones struck the US Embassy compound in Riyadh, causing a fire and minor structural damage. The US Embassy in Kuwait suspended all operations indefinitely, urging American citizens to seek shelter and not approach the embassy.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned the next phase of military operations against Iran would be "even more severe," vowing to dismantle Iran's ballistic missile capabilities without deploying ground troops. President Trump told reporters the "big wave has not come yet," signalling further escalation was imminent.

The State Department urged all US citizens across 14 Middle Eastern countries to depart immediately using available commercial transport.