US embassies in the Middle East are changing their language about helping US citizens evacuate from the region.
Previously, multiple embassies said they were unable to assist citizens in leaving, urging them to evacuate by commercial means. The embassy in Jerusalem said in a notice on Tuesday: “The US Embassy is not in a position at this time to evacuate or directly assist Americans in departing Israel.”
However, they are now issuing notices telling Americans that government assistance is available.
In an X post late on Wednesday, the US Department of State said, “Today, a Department of State charter flight of American citizens departed the Middle East in route to the United States, as part of our ongoing efforts to assist Americans return home.”
Today, a Department of State charter flight of American citizens departed the Middle East in route to the United States, as part of our ongoing efforts to assist Americans return home.Additional flights will be surged across the region and American citizens in UAE, Qatar, Saudi… pic.twitter.com/4egntuuWy3
— Department of State (@StateDept) March 5, 2026
It added that “additional flights will be surged across the region.”
The post did not say which Middle Eastern country the charter flight on Wednesday had departed from. The State Department post included photos showing consular staff standing next to US Embassy banners at an airport, with the country’s name blurred on the signage.
The embassy in Jerusalem said in a late Wednesday notice that the US government is “ready to help Americans leave the Middle East if you choose to take advantage of the options available.”
A security alert by the US embassy in Kuwait communicated the same message.
In the notice, the embassy added a link to a crisis intake form, which included the option, “I am seeking U.S. government departure assistance.”
The US embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, said in an X post on Wednesday that “Americans trying to get home from Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, or Qatar,” should fill out the crisis intake form.
The Wednesday notice from the embassy in Doha, Qatar, however, said it’s “currently exploring options to assist U.S. citizens in reaching a safe destination,” but did not provide a link to the crisis intake form.
The State Department said on Monday that Americans in the following countries should vacate: Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
In a Monday X post, the US Department of State Consular Affairs shared three steps for US citizens in the region to follow:
1) Enroll in http://step.state.gov for security updates from the nearest US Embassy.
2) Follow @travelgov on social media or the WhatsApp channel “U.S. Department of State – Security Updates for U.S. Citizens.”
3) For emergency assistance, call:
- +1-202-501-4444 from overseas
- +1-888-407-4747 from the US and Canada
Air travel remains disrupted
Meanwhile, commercial air travel remains disrupted. Most airports in the region, such as Dubai International Airport and Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi, are telling customers not to come unless their airlines have confirmed their flights. Travellers in the region spoke to Business Insider about feeling stranded and terrified.
Some Emirates flights have resumed, prioritizing travelers with earlier bookings. The airline said in a Wednesday X post that it continues to operate a “limited flight schedule,” and data from FlightRadar24 shows that Emirates has scheduled flights on Thursday to Warsaw, San Francisco, Chicago, Tokyo, and other destinations.
Representatives for the State Department did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
