US embassy working to evacuate Americans from Israel: Huckabee
Mike Huckabee, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, said Wednesday the federal government is working to evacuate U.S. citizens from the country as an escalating conflict with Iran enters its sixth day.
'Urgent notice! American citizens wanting to leave Israel- US Embassy in Israel @usembassyjlm is working on evacuation flights & cruise ship departures,' Ambassador Mike Huckabee posted on X.
He noted Americans must enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive updates and alerts on travel.
The State Department on Saturday authorized family members of U.S. personnel and non-emergency employees to depart Israel 'due to the volatile and unpredictable security situation in the region.'
The State Department currently advises against travel to Israel, citing the risk of armed conflict, terrorism and civil unrest.
Hundreds of thousands of Americans live in Israel, many with dual citizenship.
Other countries have also started evacuating citizens from Israel.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said on Tuesday that Beijing was starting evacuations.
'The ministry and embassies are making every effort to protect the safety of Chinese nationals in Iran and Israel and to swiftly organize the evacuation of Chinese nationals,' Guo said during a daily press briefing.
Thailand's prime minister on Tuesday said the Air Force has planes on standby to evacuate some 40,000 Thai citizens in Israel, who mostly work in agriculture.
Some European countries have also moved to pull citizens out of the country, Politico reported on Tuesday.
The Polish Foreign Ministry announced it would evacuate about 200 citizens; the Czech Republican said it has evacuated about 70 citizens; and Lithuania said it would begin evacuations Tuesday.
Israel launched its largest-ever attack on Iran on June 13, prompting retaliatory strikes from Iran. A tit-for-tat exchange of missile strikes has continued through the week, as President Trump reportedly considers joining Israel's campaign to destroy Tehran's nuclear facilities.
With the country's main airport closed, Israel's government also issued a do-not-travel advisory telling citizens to avoid flying into Egypt and Jordan and entering Israel by land.
'We would like to reiterate that a Level 4 travel warning applies to the areas of the Sinai and Jordan, reflecting a high threat,' said a message from Israel's National Security Council. 'We recommend avoiding arrival to these areas. These warnings are especially important during this tense period.'
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The Hill
31 minutes ago
- The Hill
Watch live: Trump addresses the nation after US bombs Iranian three nuclear sites
President Trump is set to address the nation tonight after he announced the U.S. had dropped bombs on three sites in Iran, including the Fordow site located in a mountainside. 'We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan,' Trump posted on Truth Social. 'All planes are now outside of Iran air space. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home,' Trump added. 'Congratulations to our great American Warriors. There is not another military in the World that could have done this. NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE!' The action follows days of speculation over whether the U.S. would join the Israel-Iran conflict, and comes shortly after Trump noted he would make a decision on involvement within two weeks. Trump's remarks are scheduled to begin at 10 p.m. EDT. Watch the live video above.
Los Angeles Times
36 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
With US airstrikes, Trump aims to deliver a decisive blow to a weakened Iran
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump with his decision to order U.S. military strikes on Iran's nuclear facility is gambling that direct U.S. involvement can deliver a decisive blow to a weakened Tehran while managing to avoid bringing the U.S. into an expansive regional conflict. Trump announced the strikes on three Iranian enrichment facilities — Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan — and said that a 'full payload of BOMBS was dropped' on Fordo. 'All planes are safely on their way home,' Trump added in his post. 'Congratulations to our great American Warriors. There is not another military in the World that could have done this. NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE!' It remained to be seen whether the attacks mark the totality of direct American involvement in strikes against Iran or the opening salvo of a larger campaign. Trump, who said he will address the nation about the strikes at 10 p.m. Eastern U.S. time, called it a 'very successful military operation.' 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USA Today
an hour ago
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Investors react to US attack on Iran nuclear sites
President Donald Trump on Saturday said that a "very successful attack" on three nuclear sites in Iran had been carried out. In a posting on Truth Social, Trump added, "All planes are safely on their way home" and he ended his posting saying, "Now is the time for peace." Following are comments from some financial and corporate analysts: Mark Spindel, CIO, Potomac River Capital, Washington, DC: "I think the markets are going to be initially alarmed and I think oil will open higher. We don't have any damage assessment and that will take some time. Even though he has described this as 'done', we're engaged. What comes next? I think the uncertainty is going to blanket the markets, as now Americans everywhere are going to be exposed. It's going to raise uncertainty and volatility, particularly in oil. "There's plenty of time to deliberate before markets open on Sunday. I'm making arrangements to talk to a few people tomorrow. We'll get an early indication when the dollar opens for trading in New Zealand. This was such a bold action, though, and it's such a big contrast to the comments about negotiating for the next two weeks." Jamie Cox, Managing Partner, Harris Financial Group, Richmond, Virginia: 'Oil is sure to spike on this initial news but will likely level in a few days. With this demonstration of force and total annihilation of its nuclear capabilities, they've lost all of their leverage and will likely hit the escape button to a peace deal." Mark Malek, Chief Investment Officer, Siebert Investment Officer, Siebert Financial, NYC: "I think it's going to be very positive for the stock market. I believe that on Friday if you'd asked me, I would have expected two weeks of volatility with markets trying to analyze every drib and drab of information coming out of the White House and I would have said that it would have been better to make a decision last week. "So this will be reassuring, especially since it seems like a one and done situation and not as if (the US) is seeking a long, drawn out conflict. The biggest risk still out there is the Strait of Hormuz. It could certainly change everything if Iran has the capability to close it." Jack Ablin, Chief Investment Officer of Cresset Capital, Chicago: "This adds a complicated new layer of risk that we'll have to consider and pay attention to... This is definitely going to have an impact on energy prices and potentially on inflation as well." (Reporting by Saeed Azhar, Suzanne McGee. Compiled by Peter Henderson and Vidya Ranganathan)
