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The U.S. Embassy in Israel on Friday told its staff that it could leave the country and urged anyone considering departure to do so immediately, as the threat of an American strike on Iran looms.
U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee told embassy employees in an email that discussions with officials in Washington had led to a decision authorizing departures for those who wished to leave.
The email was recounted to The Associated Press by someone involved with the U.S. mission who wasn’t authorized to share details. Sent before 10:30 a.m. local time, it urged staff considering departure to do so quickly, advising them to to focus initially on getting any flight out of Israel and to then make their way to Washington.
“Those wishing to take [authorized departure] should do so TODAY,” Huckabee wrote.
“While there may be outbound flights over the coming days, there may not be,” he added.
A third round of U.S.-Iran nuclear talks in Geneva have ended without a deal, leaving the risk of military action looming. Trump says he prefers an agreement with Tehran over war, but details of the president’s demands remain unclear.
Huckabee said there was no need for panic, but for those desiring to leave, it was important to make plans soon.
- Are you a Canadian in the Middle East who is considering leaving because of escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran? We want to hear from you. Send an email to ask@cbc.ca.
The email came a day after Iran and the United States walked away from nuclear negotiations without a deal. Airlines such as Netherlands-based KLM have already announced plans to suspend flights out of Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport, and other embassies have also made plans for authorized departures from Israel and neighbouring countries.
Australia on Wednesday “directed the departure of all dependents of Australian officials posted to Israel in response to the deteriorating security situation in the Middle East.” India and several European countries with missions in Iran advised citizens to avoid travel to the country as well.
At a town hall meeting on Friday after the email was sent, Huckabee told staff that he was encouraging airlines to keep flying.
The departure authorizations signal a new level of contingency planning as a massive fleet of U.S. aircraft and warships mass in the Middle East.
Meanwhile, China’s embassy in Israel asked its citizens living in the country on Friday to stay put — instructing them to strengthen their security precautions and emergency preparedness, citing “rising security risks in the Middle East.”
Global Affairs Canada (GAC) said on Thursday that Canadian staff and their dependents in both Israel and Palestine “remain in place.”
No U.S., Iran deal reached yet
Badr al-Busaidi, Oman’s foreign minister who is mediating in the negotiations, said Thursday that there had been significant progress made, though officials from Iran and the United States haven’t announced steps forward.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Thursday offered no specifics, but said “what needs to happen has been clearly spelled out from our side.”
In a social media post on Thursday, GAC reiterated their advice for Canadians in Iran since the deadly government crackdown on protests in January: “Leave Iran now if you can do so safely.”
“Due to ongoing tensions, hostilities in the region could resume with little or no warning,” GAC wrote.
Earlier this week, GAC said Canadian staff are remaining in Lebanon despite growing military tensions in the region.
