Departure guidance clashes with closed airspace and cancellations
Some Americans in the Middle East say they cannot follow U.S. government guidance to leave the region as the widening war with Iran disrupts air travel and shuts down key transit routes. The State Department urged Americans late Monday to depart from a broad list of countries, but stranded travelers told CBS News that commercial flights are being canceled and airspace closures are limiting options.
Sasha Hoffman, who lives in Chicago and was vacationing in Dubai when the U.S.-Israeli military action began, said she initially expected to stay put. She said President Donald Trump’s comments that Operation Epic Fury could last four to five weeks changed her thinking. “We’re honestly trapped,” she told CBS News on Tuesday, saying she had booked flights for multiple days and all were canceled. She said the airspace closure through the following night meant leaving the UAE by air was not possible in the near term.
Hoffman said she understands the focus on safety but described a disconnect between the message to leave and the lack of available transportation. She also described the experience as frightening, saying the sound and impact of conflict are not normal for Americans used to peace at home.
Exit list covers multiple Gulf states and conflict zones
The State Department told Americans to “depart now” from Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. The guidance urged Americans to use available commercial transportation because of serious safety risks.
On Tuesday, the department said more than 9,000 Americans have returned to the United States from the Middle East over the past several days, including more than 300 from Israel. A source told CBS News that more than one million Americans are believed to be in the region.
Embassy closures and improvised routes add to uncertainty
U.S. diplomatic operations have also been affected. The U.S. Embassy in Kuwait said Tuesday it was closed until further notice due to ongoing regional tensions and that consular appointments were canceled. The announcement came a day after smoke was seen rising from the mission following Iranian attacks on Kuwait, according to the account.
Travel blogger Alyssa Ramos, who is in Kuwait, said she is trying to arrange her own way out. She told CBS News earlier that she is “taking matters into our own hands because the government simply is not helping us,” adding that she could not reach anyone for assistance. Ramos said the airport was struck about two hours after she landed and she was advised to go to her hotel because the airport was expected to close. She said every flight she tried to book was canceled, leaving her considering traveling overland into Saudi Arabia and then trying to fly from Riyadh.
Some Americans move to neighboring countries to catch flights
Other Americans described multi-step routes that rely on crossing borders to find operating airports. In Israel, Tamar Rubinstein, who is pregnant with twins, said she plans to take a bus to Egypt and then fly through Europe to return to Chicago. She said the journey would take about two and a half days and cited uncertainty around travel conditions.
In the United Arab Emirates, Nate Bowling, an American teacher who has lived there since 2019, told CBS Philadelphia he has heard interceptions several times per day and described an early morning alert followed by audible interceptions. He said residents were safe where he is but emphasized that flights are not available, criticizing the sequence in which evacuation guidance was issued after the conflict began.