The US State Department on Friday authorized non-emergency personnel and the family members of those stationed in Israel to leave the country due to “safety risks,” with US Ambassador Mike Huckabee reportedly telling embassy staff that if they want to leave Israel, they “should do so TODAY.”
The embassy’s call for non-emergency staff to depart, issued in a security alert, “will likely result in high demand for airline seats today,” Huckabee wrote in an email to staffers in Israel, according to The New York Times. “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.”
“There is no need to panic,” Huckabee continued, “but for those desiring to leave, it’s important to make plans to depart sooner rather than later.”
The current US Embassy travel advisory, included in its Friday security alert, also advises all Americans to “reconsider travel to Israel due to terrorism and civil unrest.”
The alert and Huckabee’s warning were the latest indication of a possible American strike on Iran, and came as airlines have canceled flights to the region and issued warnings for citizens to evacuate.
Later Friday, Israel Defense Forces Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin issued a statement reiterating that while the IDF was prepared to defend the country should Iran strike, there were no further changes to the military’s guidelines for the Israeli public.
“I am aware of the sense of uncertainty and the tension prevailing among the public in light of the regional developments,” Defrin said in a video statement. “The IDF is closely monitoring the situation in Iran and is alert and prepared to defend you.”
Defrin said the IDF was “operating in full coordination with our partners, with the aim of strengthening the defense.”
“There is no change in the guidelines. If there is a change, I will be here and we will provide an update accordingly,” Defrin added.
US President Donald Trump has threatened to attack the Islamic Republic unless it agrees to halt its nuclear program. US military forces have continued to amass in the region, with US fighter jets deploying at an Israeli air base and USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, set to arrive off Israel’s northern coast on Friday, near the port city of Haifa.
At least nine American refueling tankers also arrived at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport early Friday, according to footage and analysts monitoring open-source flight tracking data.
The tankers are likely to provide support for US fighter jets aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford
Also Friday, the Chinese intelligence firm MizarVision published new satellite images showing the deployment of American F-22 stealth fighter jets at the Israeli Air Force’s Ovda Airbase.
On Thursday, the firm published images providing the first visual confirmation of 11 F-22s at the airbase in southern Israel.
The latest images show the F-22s moving around the base, with four positioned on a taxiway.
MizarVision has alleged ties to the Chinese military and has been accused of republishing imagery from other satellite firms with its own overlays.
The deployment of US fighter jets at Israeli airbases for operational activities — rather than for joint training with the IAF — is extremely rare.
In parallel, diplomatic efforts are ongoing to avert a conflict. The two countries held a third round of talks on Tehran’s nuclear program on Thursday, mediated by Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi. Albusaidi projected optimism about those negotiations, and was due to meet US Vice President JD Vance and other officials in Washington on Friday in an effort to stave off war.
The announcement from the US embassy came as Canada, on Friday, called on any of its citizens in Iran to leave as soon as possible.
“Canadians in Iran: Due to ongoing tensions, hostilities in the region could resume with little or no warning. Leave Iran now if you can do so safely,” the Canadian government said. “Ensure travel documents are up-to-date and keep sufficient supplies in case you need to shelter in place.”
China made the same call, warning its citizens to avoid traveling to Iran and those in the country to evacuate, citing a “significant rise in external security risks.”
“In light of the current security situation in Iran, China’s Foreign Ministry and Chinese embassies and consulates in Iran remind Chinese citizens to avoid traveling to Iran for the time being,” Beijing’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
Beijing later also urged its citizens living in Israel to strengthen their security precautions and emergency preparedness, citing “rising security risks in the Middle East.”
Several other countries have issued similar guidance. Earlier this week, Australia said it was instructing family members of its diplomats posted in Israel and Lebanon to leave, and that its citizens in either country should consider leaving before it is too late.
Poland, Sweden, India and others have also called on their citizens to leave the Islamic Republic.
Earlier this week, KLM suspended flights between Amsterdam and Tel Aviv. The Lufthansa Group said Thursday that flights to and from Israel may continue to face schedule disruptions, due to security concerns, through March 15. The changes include stopovers in Athens and changed takeoff and landing times, but mostly not cancellations.
Scandinavian Airlines also canceled one flight to Israel, without providing an explanation, but said that a flight to Israel on Sunday was still scheduled as usual.
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