Ambassador says no need to panic but urges early departure
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee on Friday advised embassy staff that those wishing to leave Israel should do so “today” amid escalating tensions with Iran.
In an email sent to US mission employees at 10:24 am, Huckabee said staff should book any available commercial airline still operating to Washington, but stressed that “the first priority will be getting expeditiously out of the country,” according to a report by The New York Times.
“There is no need to panic,” he wrote, “but for those desiring to leave, it’s important to make plans to depart sooner rather than later.”
The advisory comes as Iran has warned that if the United States launches an attack, American military bases in the region would be considered legitimate targets — potentially endangering tens of thousands of US service members. Tehran has also threatened to strike Israel, raising fears that a broader regional conflict could once again engulf the Middle East.
US President Donald Trump has demanded that Iran completely halt uranium enrichment and scale back both its long-range missile programme and its support for regional armed groups. Iran maintains that its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful and has said it is willing to discuss only nuclear-related issues.
On February 19, Trump gave Iran a 15-day deadline to reach a deal. While Tehran insists talks should be limited to its nuclear programme, Washington wants curbs on Iran’s missile activities and its backing of armed groups.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Trump’s negotiating team plans to demand that Iran dismantle its three primary nuclear facilities and transfer all remaining enriched uranium to the United States.
Iran said on Friday that any agreement would require the US to drop what it described as “excessive demands,” tempering earlier optimism surrounding the talks, which are seen as a last-ditch effort to avoid war.
A previous round of negotiations collapsed after Israel launched strikes on Iran last June, triggering a 12-day conflict in which the US briefly joined to target Iranian nuclear sites.
With diplomatic efforts hanging in the balance, tensions between Washington, Tehran and Israel remain high, raising concerns of renewed hostilities in the region.
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