Amid escalating tensions between Israel and Iran, the U.S. State Department has begun evacuating nonessential personnel and their families from its embassy in Israel. President Donald Trump has warned of the potential for direct U.S. involvement in the conflict.
According to two U.S. officials speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the situation, a government aircraft transported several diplomats and their family members out of the country on Wednesday at their request. It remains unclear how many people left via the flight or may have exited through land routes into Jordan or Egypt.
Shortly before the evacuation, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee announced on X that the embassy was preparing air and sea evacuation plans for private U.S. citizens. However, the State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs later clarified on social media that no official announcement had been made regarding assistance for American citizens wishing to leave Israel or the Palestinian territories.
