The U.S. Embassy in Qatar warned Americans that they could not help them leave

Americans told not to count on the government

The U.S. Embassy in Doha suspended all routine consular services after the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, 2026.

The embassy issued a shelter-in-place order for its own emergency staff and recommended all Americans in Qatar do the same.

At the same time, it told Americans that their departure plans should not rely on U.S. government help. For emergencies only, Americans were directed to contact the embassy by email.

Iran hit back fast across the region

Within minutes of the joint U.S.-Israeli operation, Iran launched retaliatory strikes against U.S. allies across the Middle East. Qatar took dozens of missiles and drones starting Feb. 28.

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said Iran gave no warning before the attacks and that Iranian targets covered all Qatari territory, not just military sites.

Iran described its strikes as self-defense and said they targeted U.S. military positions.

Iran tried to hit Doha’s main airport

Iran aimed missiles at Hamad International Airport, one of the busiest international hubs in the world.

Qatar’s military said its air defenses intercepted everything aimed at the airport, and none of the missiles reached the facility.

Falling debris caused minor structural damage near the airport perimeter and left some staff with minor injuries.

Qatar’s air force also shot down two Iranian SU-24 bombers that entered Qatari airspace heading toward Doha.

The largest US base in the region took hits

Al Udeid Air Base sits about 25 miles outside Doha and serves as the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East. It also functions as the forward headquarters for U.S. Central Command.

Two Iranian missiles reached the base, but officials reported little damage and no casualties at that time.

As of March 4, Qatar’s military said it had intercepted more than 100 ballistic missiles, 39 drones, three cruise missiles, and two fighter jets since the conflict began.

Airports shut down, thousands stuck in Doha

Qatari airspace closed on Feb. 28, and Hamad International Airport suspended all commercial flight operations. Qatar Airways said flights would not resume until the civil aviation authority declared conditions safe.

Passengers were told to stay away from the airport.

The closure stranded more than 8,000 transit passengers in Doha, including cruise ship passengers who had been set to fly home. Qatar put them up in hotels and covered their food and lodging.

State Department said leave, but flights were gone

On March 3, the State Department’s top consular official told Americans in 15 Middle East countries, including Qatar, to leave immediately using available commercial travel.

But at that moment, almost no commercial flights were operating from Qatar or most of the other listed countries.

The State Department’s own emergency hotline told callers not to rely on U.S. government evacuation assistance and said no U.S. evacuation points existed.

Stranded Americans and members of Congress criticized the mixed messages.

Stranded Americans pushed back publicly

One American stuck in Doha told reporters that flights kept getting canceled and he just wanted to go home.

Another, stranded on a layover from India, said the embassy could not offer immediate help because it was overwhelmed with emergency calls.

A former acting assistant secretary of state for diplomatic security said the U.S. should have warned Americans earlier, given the scale of the military buildup in the region.

Confusion about whether to shelter in place or head to airports spread across the Middle East.

Trump said events moved too fast

When asked why no evacuation plan existed for Americans before the strikes, President Trump said events unfolded too quickly.

He said the U.S. needed to act fast because Iran was preparing to attack Israel and other countries.

Security alerts urging Americans to shelter in place went out just before or after the strikes began, compared to the weeks of notice given before the 2003 Iraq invasion.

Both parties questioned the administration over the lack of advance planning for civilian departures.

State Department worked to arrange charter flights

On March 4, the State Department said it was setting up charter flights from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan for American citizens.

Officials also said they were helping Americans book commercial tickets out of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, and Egypt.

For countries without commercial flights, including Qatar, the department said it was working to move people to third countries first.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the department had been in contact with nearly 3,000 Americans seeking help and said he was confident they would assist everyone.

Charter flights came at no cost to Americans

The State Department said Americans who used government-facilitated flights would not have to repay the cost. Officials said they were actively reaching out to U.S. citizens to offer seats on charter flights.

More than 120 staff were fielding calls at the department’s 24-hour call center.

By March 5, an estimated 9,000 American citizens had safely departed the broader Middle East region.

Here is what Americans in Qatar should do

The embassy recommends sheltering inside a residence, hotel, or other structure and staying away from windows.

Americans should enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program at the State Department’s step website to receive security updates.

For emergencies, Americans abroad can call the State Department at 1-202-501-4444 around the clock, or 1-888-407-4747 from the U.S. and Canada.

Monitor updates from both the Qatari government and the U.S. Embassy as conditions change.

The crisis stretched across the region

The State Department ordered non-emergency government staff and their families to leave six countries: Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE.

The U.S. also temporarily closed diplomatic facilities in Pakistan, Beirut, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait.

More than 19,000 flights across the Middle East had been canceled as of March 4, according to aviation data firm Cirium.

Americans are advised to check the State Department’s travel website and their nearest embassy for the latest updates.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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