The US embassy in Jerusalem authorised the departure of non-emergency staff and families of government personnel in Israel on Friday morning, as war drums sound in the Middle East amid fears of an impending strike on Iran.
“On February 27, 2026, the Department of State authorised the departure of non-emergency US government personnel and family members of US government personnel from Mission Israel due to safety risks,” the embassy said in a statement posted on X.
“Persons may wish to consider leaving Israel while commercial flights are available," the statement added.
The embassy’s decision is the latest step by a number of foreign missions in Israel, amid fears that Iran might launch retaliatory strikes. Iran said an attack would elicit a major response. Israel, along with US military bases across the region, is seen as a likely target for the Iranian regime.
The New York Times reported that the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, sent staff an email on Friday morning in which he said the decision “will likely result in high demand for airline seats today”.
Those wishing to leave “should do so TODAY", Mr Huckabee wrote in an email sent at 10.24am local time. He urged them to find a flight out of Ben Gurion Airport to any destination for which they could book passage.
“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,” the email added.
During last year’s 12-day war between Israel and Iran, flights out of the former were grounded, stranding many.
The warning comes after Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said there was an understanding on "most elements of a potential agreement with the US”, following the conclusion on Thursday of a third round of nuclear talks mediated by Oman.
US President Donald Trump has yet to comment on the latest round of discussions.
A former Pentagon chief had said on Friday that the countdown for an American attack would begin when the USS Gerald R Ford carrier strike group, the world’s largest warship and the most advanced in the US Navy, arrives in the Middle East, where it is to join the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier. Israeli media reported it reached Israel’s northern coastline on Friday.
A member of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet, Avi Dichter, on Thursday confirmed media reports that the US stationed F-22 fighter jets in the country and is refuelling planes at Ben Gurion Airport.
