U.S. expats in Saudi Arabia get emergency alert: attacks are coming, stay off the streets

Iran strikes US facilities across the Gulf

The U.S. government is racing to get Americans out of the Middle East after Iranian forces struck U.S. diplomatic buildings across the region.

The conflict started Feb. 28, when U.S. and Israeli forces launched military operations against Iran. Within days, Iranian drones and missiles hit American facilities in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Dubai, and Jordan.

An estimated 500,000 to one million Americans were in the region when the strikes began.

Dhahran consulate warns of imminent attack

On March 3, the U.S. Consulate in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia sent an emergency alert telling Americans that missile and drone attacks were coming.

The consulate told people to stay away from the building and move to the lowest floor of their home, away from windows. Staff inside were already sheltering in place.

Dhahran is home to Saudi Aramco’s headquarters and a large American expat community tied to the oil industry.

Drones hit the US Embassy in Riyadh

Hours before the Dhahran alert, two Iranian drones struck the U.S. Embassy compound in Riyadh. The Saudi Defense Ministry said the strike started a small fire and caused minor damage.

No American staff were hurt. Saudi Arabia called the attack a flagrant strike on its territory.

Saudi air defenses intercepted additional drones headed for the Diplomatic Quarter in Riyadh before they could cause further damage.

Shelter-in-place orders go out across Saudi Arabia

The U.S. Mission ordered all Americans in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dhahran to stay indoors and avoid the embassy until further notice.

The embassy and all consular offices across Saudi Arabia shut down March 3, canceling visa and citizen services appointments.

The State Department authorized non-emergency U.S. government employees and their families to leave the country. Tens of thousands of Americans live in Saudi Arabia, many working in oil, construction, and finance.

State Department urges Americans to leave 14 countries

On March 2, the State Department’s assistant secretary for consular affairs told Americans to get out immediately from 14 countries across the Middle East.

The list included Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Syria, and Yemen.

The department also ordered non-emergency government staff and their families to leave six of those countries, including Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE.

Charter and military flights get arranged

The State Department said it was setting up charter flights out of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Jordan for American citizens. It was also working to secure military aircraft for those who wanted out.

Commercial flights remained available in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, and Egypt, and the department said it was helping Americans book those.

For countries with closed airspace, the government arranged ground transportation to airports in nearby countries, including charter buses from Israel.

The government waived the requirement for citizens to repay the cost of government-assisted travel.

Over 9,000 Americans make it out

As of March 4, the State Department said more than 9,000 Americans had safely left the Middle East since the conflict started Feb. 28. More than 300 of those departures came from Israel.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said about 1,600 Americans had formally asked for help getting out.

The department said it had spoken by phone with nearly 3,000 U.S. citizens and was actively reaching out to others to offer seats on outbound flights.

Hotline message contradicts official promises

Americans who called the State Department’s emergency hotline on March 3 heard something surprising.

An automated message told callers not to count on the U.S. government for evacuation and said no U.S. evacuation points existed at that time.

That recording was still running even after officials had publicly announced charter and military flight options. Axios, CNN, and NOTUS all independently confirmed the contradictory message.

The department updated the hotline later that night to say it was committed to helping Americans leave.

Stranded Americans describe fear and confusion

Americans stuck across the region said they got conflicting instructions from the government. Some said they were told to shelter in place while also being told to find commercial flights out.

Others got caught mid-travel, including people on layovers who ended up in active conflict zones with no way to continue their trip.

Airspace closures in Qatar, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Tel Aviv, Bahrain, and other cities left thousands with no flight options.

A former acting assistant secretary of state for diplomatic security said there should have been advance notice to Americans about the potential danger.

Administration defends the timeline

President Trump said the military had to move fast because Iran was getting ready to attack Israel and other countries in the region.

Secretary Rubio said the biggest challenge was airspace closures, noting that planes sometimes had to turn back mid-flight when airspace suddenly shut.

Rubio said the department had been working on evacuations for 72 hours using military, commercial, and charter flights.

Sen. Tim Sheehy said ordering a pre-strike evacuation would have tipped off Iran that the attack was coming.

Lawmakers on both sides raise alarms

Sen. Andy Kim called the delayed warnings one of the biggest derelictions of duty he had ever seen, saying up to one million Americans could be at risk.

Rep. Ted Lieu said failing to have an evacuation plan in place was an absolute dereliction of duty by the administration.

Sen. Roger Wicker, chairman of the Armed Services Committee, acknowledged the downside of wartime secrecy but said he had close friends still trying to leave the region.

Several lawmakers also pointed out that the naval forces near Iran did not include an amphibious warship with Marines trained to help evacuate civilians.

Iranian strikes spread across the Gulf

Iranian forces hit more than just Saudi Arabia. Drones and missiles also struck the U.S. Embassy compound in Kuwait.

Six U.S. service members died at the port of Shuaiba in Kuwait.

A drone struck near the U.S. Consulate in Dubai, hitting a parking lot and starting a fire with no reported injuries. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed a large-scale attack on a U.S. air base in Bahrain.

The U.S. Embassy in Jordan evacuated its staff from Amman after threats against the building. Saudi Arabia separately intercepted two cruise missiles and nine drones entering its airspace.

What Americans in the region should do now

If you are in the Middle East and need help, call the State Department at +1-202-501-4444 from abroad or +1-888-407-4747 from inside the U.S. and Canada.

The department urges all Americans to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) so officials can reach you directly with departure options. Make sure your passport is valid for short-notice travel.

If you cannot leave, shelter on the lowest floor of your building and stay away from windows. The State Department said it will keep working to add more flights and ground transport as conditions allow.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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