The United States Department of State on Tuesday, the 3rd of March, 2026, directed non-essential staff to depart Bahrain, Jordan and Iraq as tensions escalated following Iran’s response to joint US-Israeli strikes.
In updates posted on X, the department said it revised travel advisories for Bahrain and Jordan “to reflect the ordered departure of non-emergency US government personnel and family members of government personnel.”
It also announced that its Iraq advisory had been changed to show that it had on Monday “ordered non-emergency US government employees to leave Iraq due to security concerns.”
The conflict intensified after coordinated strikes by the United States and Israel on Saturday, the 28th of February, 2026. Tehran reported dozens of civilian deaths and said the country’s supreme leader was killed, triggering retaliatory attacks.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they struck a US air base in Bahrain. The claim was carried by the state-run IRNA news agency.
In Iraq, large crowds gathered in Baghdad on Sunday, the 1st of March, 2026, with many dressed in black. Protesters attempted to breach the heavily secured Green Zone, home to the US embassy, following the reported killing of Iran’s supreme leader.
In Jordan, the US embassy in Amman announced on Monday that it had temporarily withdrawn staff over an unspecified threat.
Jordanian authorities said they had intercepted more than a dozen missiles since Iran began its counterattacks.
READ ALSO: US Embassy Urges Staff Exit Israel Amid Iran Tensions
In Saudi Arabia, the US embassy in Riyadh confirmed it had come under attack and said it would remain closed on Tuesday, the 3rd of March.
“Avoid the embassy until further notice due to an attack on the facility,” a statement said, advising American citizens to “shelter in place”.
In Kuwait, the US embassy announced on Tuesday, the 3rd of March that it would shut down operations until further notice.
The decision followed reports of Iranian strikes, with smoke seen rising from the diplomatic compound a day earlier.
“Due to ongoing regional tensions, the US Embassy in Kuwait will be closed until further notice. We have cancelled all regular and emergency consular appointments,” the embassy said in a statement on X.