US Embassy Staff Told to Leave Israel Today as Iran Strike Looms

Urgent Evacuation Order Issued

The United States told some embassy staff Friday that they could leave Israel and must do so quickly as fears of an American attack on Iran fueled alarm throughout the region. The message, conveyed in an email from Ambassador Mike Huckabee, instructed those wishing to leave to "do so TODAY." The move followed meetings and phone calls through the night and resulted from "an abundance of caution" and conversations with the State Department in which officials agreed that the safety of embassy staff was a priority.

Huckabee noted that commercial flights could become scarce and urged them to accept passage to any country before returning to Washington, D.C. "There is no need to panic, but for those desiring to leave, it's important to make plans to depart sooner rather than later," he wrote. The embassy shifted to an "authorized departure" footing, which allows nonessential personnel and their dependents to evacuate at the government's expense when "U.S. national interests or imminent threat to life requires it."

Israel is likely to be targeted by retaliatory strikes by Iran or its proxy groups if the U.S. opts to launch a new strike. Last year, Iranian missiles killed more than two dozen people in Israel during a 12-day war initiated by Israeli strikes on Iran's military program. Now, Israelis have been living in limbo for weeks while waiting to learn whether a new war, expected to be more destructive, will begin.

Military Buildup and Nuclear Talks

President Donald Trump has overseen what officials describe as the largest U.S. military buildup in the Middle East in decades, raising speculation about possible military action. Eleven U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor stealth fighters arrived at a base in Israel Friday, marking the first-ever operation deployment of American combat aircraft to Israel. The USS Gerald Ford carrier strike group is expected to arrive in northern Israel as part of the buildup of US forces ahead of a potential strike on Iran.

The developments come after the latest round of nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran concluded Thursday in Geneva without a clear breakthrough. Despite the tension, officials familiar with the Geneva negotiations described the most recent round as "positive" from the U.S. perspective. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi similarly characterized the indirect six-hour talks as constructive.

Trump repeated threats to Iran Friday but said no final decision had been made yet, telling reporters as he left the White House that he'd "love" not to use military force but "sometimes you have to." "They can't have nuclear weapons, and we're not thrilled with the way they're negotiating, so we'll see how it all works out," Trump said.

Regional Diplomatic Response

The U.S. embassy in Lebanon ordered the departure of all non-emergency personnel and the family members of all government personnel on Monday. Australia said Wednesday that the dependents of its diplomats in Israel and Lebanon should leave those countries, and has offered voluntary departures to the dependents of its staff in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Jordan.

Britain announced Friday that it had temporarily withdrawn U.K. staff from Iran due to the "ongoing security situation." China advised its citizens to avoid traveling to Iran and urged those already there to leave as soon as possible. Dutch carrier KLM said it would suspend flights from Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion International Airport.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to Israel on Monday to discuss "a range of regional priorities," including Iran. The timing of these diplomatic moves suggests the administration is preparing for multiple scenarios while keeping diplomatic channels open through Omani mediation.

What Comes Next

Trump said last Thursday that he would decide between continuing negotiations or using military strikes in 10 days. Gen. H.R. McMaster, a CBS News contributor who served as national security adviser in the first Trump administration, predicted that the Trump administration would not find enough common ground with Iran's hardline Islamic rulers to avert a new military clash. "The ideology of the theocratic dictatorship and its permanent hostility to the United States and Israel will result in intransigence," he said.

The evacuation order represents a significant escalation in diplomatic preparations, signaling that despite ongoing negotiations, the administration is actively preparing for the possibility that talks may fail. With major military assets now positioned in the region and embassy staff being evacuated, the window for a diplomatic resolution appears to be narrowing rapidly.