The U.S. State Department issued a worldwide security alert on Feb. 28 following the attack on Iran, advising Americans globally to "exercise increased caution."
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More on the Iran war's impact on travel.
On Monday it urged Americans to leave 14 countries across the Middle East as the war with Iran grew wider, according to a post on X from the assistant secretary of state for consular affairs, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that the government was working to secure repatriation flights for travelers stranded in the Middle East.
The travel advisories for Qatar, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates and Kuwait were raised to Level 3, "reconsider travel," and Jordan, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Lebanon were at Level 3 with a "higher security risk." Cyprus was also updated on March 3 and stood at Level 3.
Egypt remained at Level 2 "with areas of higher security risk," as did Turkey.
In its global security alert, the State Department said travel disruptions due to periodic airspace closures may occur.
And it urged U.S. travelers "worldwide and especially in the Middle East" to follow guidance in security alerts issued by U.S. embassies or consulates.
Rubio encouraged Americans in the Middle East to register for the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, or STEP, in order to receive security updates directly from the department. It also published a 24-hour hotline for citizens who need help with commercial travel, at (202) 501-4444 from abroad and (888) 407-4747 from the U.S. and Canada.
The latest on travel disruptions
Hundreds of thousands of travelers over the weekend were affected by the conflict, as flights were canceled or rerouted from major hubs in the Middle East. Governments around the world have been working to bring stranded travelers home. In remarks Tuesday, Rubio said that airspace closures have been a challenge in repatriating U.S. citizens.
The immediate impact on leisure travel stretched beyond the Middle East; in Egypt, several river cruise lines canceled cruises; Viking, which has several ships on the Nile, said it was suspending cruises through March. Tours have also been canceled in the Middle East. A handful of ocean cruises have also been impacted.
Hotels damaged
Debris from intercepted Iranian drones in Dubai damaged two of the
city's luxury hotels over the weekend: the Jumeirah Burj Al Arab and
Fairmont The Palm. Elsewhere, according to the Associated Press, the Crown Plaza hotel in Bahrain's capital, Manama, was damaged. No casualties were reported.
This report was updated with new information throughout.