Topline
One day after the U.S. bombed Iran, the State Department began advising Americans to “exercise increased caution” while out of the country—but that language signals a relatively low risk.
The U.S. State Department has issued a worldwide caution for U.S. citizens abroad.
Late Sunday, the U.S. State Department issued a worldwide caution for U.S. citizens abroad, warning of the potential for demonstrations against U.S. citizens and interests abroad and advising Americans to “exercise increased caution.”
The verbiage “exercise increased caution” is consistent with Level 2 on the State Department’s tiered risk assessment scale, which ranges from Level 1, “exercise normal precautions,” to Level 4, “do not travel.”
Of the 21 countries under a State Department Level 4 “do not travel” advisory, six are located in the Middle East: Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Israel, the West Bank and Gaza.
Most other Middle East destinations—including Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)—are under Level 2 advisories, the same as France, Germany, Italy and many Western European nations.
On Monday, the State Department posted a notice to U.S. citizens seeking to depart Israel or the West Bank to “take the first available option, even if it is not your first choice of destination.” The State Department has not updated any other country-specific travel advisories since the U.S. bombed Iran Saturday.
The State Department issues a worldwide caution when there is a broad elevated risk for U.S. citizens abroad. The last two times the U.S. issued worldwide cautions were in October 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel, and in August 2022, after the U.S. drone strike killed al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in Afghanistan. In contrast, the State Department has a much more tailored travel advisory for every country with a tiered risk assessment ranging from Level 1 to Level 4.
The conflict “has resulted in disruptions to travel and periodic closure of airspace across the Middle East,” the State Department says in its worldwide caution. Israel’s attack on Iran on June 13 forced Iran, Iraq, and Jordan to close their airspaces. Since then, as Israel and Iran continue to launch missiles at each other, hundreds of flights scheduled to pass through the Middle East were canceled or diverted. Some airlines are rerouting flights to avoid the affected airspace, which leads to longer flight times and potentially higher fares. Others are temporarily suspending service. In the days before the U.S. strikes, American Airlines suspended flights to Qatar, and United Airlines and Air Canada have temporarily stopped flying to Dubai.
The State Department says it reviews Level 1 and 2 travel advisories at least every 12 months and Level 3 and 4 advisories at least every six months.
The State Department advises travelers to check specific guidance for the country they plan to visit the U.S. government’s general travel site. The government also recommends enrolling in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), a free service that alerts the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate of a traveler’s plans to visit. In case of an emergency, the embassy will contact the traveler and provide important travel updates and alerts.