US Advises Embassy Staff in Israel to Leave Now If They Want, as Risk of War Hangs Over Middle East
27th February 2026
The U.S. Embassy in Israel on Friday told its staff that it could leave the country and urged anyone considering departure to do so immediately, as the threat of an American strike on Iran looms.
U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee told embassy employees in an email that discussions with officials in Washington had led to a decision authorizing departures for those who wished to leave.
The email was recounted to The Associated Press by someone involved with the U.S. mission who wasn’t authorized to share details. Sent before 10:30 a.m., it urged staff considering departure to do so quickly, advising them to to focus initially on getting any flight out of Israel and to then make their way to Washington.
“Those wishing to take AD should do so TODAY,” Huckabee wrote, using an acronym for “authorized departure.”
The timer is ticking down….