{"id":314391,"date":"2026-02-28T08:23:10","date_gmt":"2026-02-28T08:23:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/314391\/"},"modified":"2026-02-28T08:23:10","modified_gmt":"2026-02-28T08:23:10","slug":"us-ambassador-tells-embassy-staffers-if-you-want-to-leave-israel-do-so-today","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/314391\/","title":{"rendered":"US ambassador tells embassy staffers: If you want to leave Israel, \u2018do so TODAY\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

The US State Department on Friday authorized non-emergency personnel and the family members of those stationed in Israel to leave the country due to \u201csafety risks,\u201d with US Ambassador Mike Huckabee reportedly telling embassy staff that if they want to leave Israel, they \u201cshould do so TODAY.\u201d<\/p>\n

The embassy\u2019s call for non-emergency staff to depart, issued in a security alert,<\/a> \u201cwill likely result in high demand for airline seats today,\u201d Huckabee wrote in an email to staffers in Israel, according to The New York Times. \u201cFocus on getting a seat to anyplace from which you can then continue travel to DC, but the first priority will be getting expeditiously out of country.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is no need to panic,\u201d Huckabee continued, \u201cbut for those desiring to leave, it\u2019s important to make plans to depart sooner rather than later.\u201d<\/p>\n

The current US Embassy travel advisory, included in its Friday security alert, also advises all Americans to \u201creconsider travel to Israel due to terrorism and civil unrest.\u201d<\/p>\n

The alert and Huckabee\u2019s warning were the latest indication of a possible American strike on Iran, and came as airlines have canceled flights to the region and issued warnings for citizens to evacuate.<\/p>\n

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Later Friday, Israel Defense Forces Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin issued a statement reiterating that while the IDF was prepared to defend the country should Iran strike,\u00a0 there were no further changes to the military\u2019s guidelines for the Israeli public.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am aware of the sense of uncertainty and the tension prevailing among the public in light of the regional developments,\u201d Defrin said in a video statement. \u201cThe IDF is closely monitoring the situation in Iran and is alert and prepared to defend you.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n\t\tIDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin issues a video statement, February 27, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)<\/p>\n

Defrin said the IDF was \u201coperating in full coordination with our partners, with the aim of strengthening the defense.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is no change in the guidelines. If there is a change, I will be here and we will provide an update accordingly,\u201d Defrin added.<\/p>\n

US President Donald Trump has threatened to attack the Islamic Republic unless it agrees to halt its nuclear program. US military forces have continued to amass in the region, with US fighter jets deploying at an Israeli air base and USS Gerald R. Ford, the world\u2019s largest aircraft carrier, set to arrive off Israel\u2019s northern coast, near the port city of Haifa.<\/p>\n

The carrier was spotted on satellite imagery<\/a> some 160 nautical miles east of the Greek island of Crete on Friday morning.<\/p>\n

On February 27, 2026, the Department of State authorized the departure of non-emergency U.S. government personnel and family members of U.S. government personnel from Mission Israel due to safety risks. <\/p>\n

In response to security incidents and without advance notice, the U.S.\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/aWzX6Gk36x<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 U.S. Embassy Jerusalem (@usembassyjlm) February 27, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

At least nine American refueling tankers also arrived at Israel\u2019s Ben Gurion Airport early Friday, according to footage and analysts monitoring open-source flight tracking data.\n<\/p>\n

The tankers are likely to provide support for US fighter jets aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford.<\/p>\n

Picture from N12 of US tankers at Israel’s Ben Gurion airport this morning pic.twitter.com\/O45RaTfb0p<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Faytuks News (@Faytuks) February 27, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Also Friday, the Chinese intelligence firm MizarVision published new satellite images showing the deployment of American F-22 stealth fighter jets at the Israeli Air Force\u2019s Ovda Airbase.\n<\/p>\n

On Thursday, the firm published images providing the first visual confirmation of 11 F-22s at the airbase in southern Israel.<\/p>\n

The latest images show the F-22s moving around the base, with four positioned on a taxiway.<\/p>\n

MizarVision has alleged ties to the Chinese military and has been accused of republishing imagery from other satellite firms with its own overlays.<\/p>\n

New satellite imagery from Ovda Airbase in Israel via MizarVision shows F-22s moving around the base. pic.twitter.com\/y0JUeQmla1<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Faytuks Network (@FaytuksNetwork) February 27, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

The deployment of US fighter jets at Israeli airbases for operational activities \u2014 rather than for joint training with the IAF \u2014 is extremely rare.\n<\/p>\n

Diplomatic efforts<\/p>\n

In parallel, diplomatic efforts are ongoing to avert a conflict. The two countries held a third round of talks on Tehran\u2019s nuclear program on Thursday, mediated by Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi. Albusaidi projected optimism about those negotiations, and was due to meet US Vice President JD Vance and other officials in Washington on Friday in an effort to stave off war.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\tThe US Navy aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford departs Souda Bay on the island of Crete on February 26, 2026. (Photo by Costas METAXAKIS \/ AFP)<\/p>\n

The announcement from the US embassy came as Canada, on Friday, called on any of its citizens in Iran to leave as soon as possible.<\/p>\n

\u201cCanadians in Iran: Due to ongoing tensions, hostilities in the region could resume with little or no warning. Leave Iran now if you can do so safely,\u201d the Canadian government said. \u201cEnsure travel documents are up-to-date and keep sufficient supplies in case you need to shelter in place.\u201d<\/p>\n

China made the same call, warning its citizens to avoid traveling to Iran and those in the country to evacuate, citing a \u201csignificant rise in external security risks.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn light of the current security situation in Iran, China\u2019s Foreign Ministry and Chinese embassies and consulates in Iran remind Chinese citizens to avoid traveling to Iran for the time being,\u201d Beijing\u2019s foreign ministry said in a statement.<\/p>\n

Beijing later also urged its citizens living in Israel to strengthen their security precautions and emergency preparedness, citing \u201crising security risks in the Middle East.\u201d<\/p>\n

Several other countries have issued similar guidance. Earlier this week, Australia said it was instructing family members of its diplomats posted in Israel and Lebanon to leave, and that its citizens in either country should consider leaving before it is too late.<\/p>\n

Poland, Sweden, India and others have also called on their citizens to leave the Islamic Republic.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\tA Qatar Airways Airbus A330-202 aircraft carrying the delegation headed by Minister of State Mohammed bin Abdulaziz al-Khulaifi taxis on the tarmac upon arrival at Damascus International Airport on December 23, 2024. (OMAR HAJ KADOUR \/ AFP)<\/p>\n

Airlines are also altering service to the region. Qatar Airways extended its partial flight cancellations to and from Iran until June 30, 2026, though it will continue to operate one flight daily between the two countries starting on Sunday.<\/p>\n

Earlier this week, KLM suspended flights between Amsterdam and Tel Aviv. The Lufthansa Group said Thursday that flights to and from Israel may continue to face schedule disruptions, due to security concerns, through March 15. The changes include stopovers in Athens and changed takeoff and landing times, but mostly not cancellations.<\/p>\n

Scandinavian Airlines also canceled one flight to Israel, without providing an explanation, but said that a flight to Israel on Sunday was still scheduled as usual.<\/p>\n

\t\"\"<\/a>
\n\t\tLeft: Oman\u2019s Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi addresses the United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York City on September 27, 2025. (CHARLY TRIBALLEAU \/ AFP); Right: US Vice President JD Vance speaks as he visits Pointe Precision, a machining facility in Plover, Wisconsin, on February 26, 2026. (Matt Rourke \/ POOL \/ AFP)<\/p>\n

Alongside the alarm, negotiators expressed optimism about the talks on Thursday in Geneva. But gaps remain between the sides, which reportedly agreed to meet again next week. Albusaidi\u2019s meeting with Vance, reported by MS Now (formerly MSNBC), is meant to further those efforts.<\/p>\n

The Islamic Republic has resisted US calls that it halt all uranium enrichment or discuss its ballistic missile arsenal and support for terror proxies. Some reports have suggested, however, that a \u201ctoken\u201d amount of low enrichment might be viable as the basis for a deal.<\/p>\n

Iran\u2019s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that in order to reach a deal, the United States will have to drop its \u201cexcessive demands,\u201d according to a Friday report.<\/p>\n

In a phone call with Egypt\u2019s top diplomat Badr Abdelatty, Araghchi said, \u201cSuccess in this path requires seriousness and realism from the other side and avoidance of any miscalculation and excessive demands.\u201d<\/p>\n

Iran has consistently denied seeking to acquire nuclear weapons. However, it enriched uranium to levels that have no peaceful application, obstructed international inspectors from checking its nuclear facilities, and expanded its ballistic missile capabilities.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\tIranian women walk past a mural depicting Iranian revolutionary female soldiers in Tehran on February 25, 2026. (Photo by ATTA KENARE \/ AFP)<\/p>\n

In Iraq, meanwhile, a powerful Iran-backed terror group told its fighters to prepare for the scenario of a long war in neighboring Iran, should the US launch strikes.<\/p>\n

Kataeb Hezbollah warned the US on Thursday of \u201cimmense losses\u201d were it to start a war in the region, while a commander in an armed faction told AFP his group is \u201chighly likely\u201d to intervene in the case of strikes.<\/p>\n

\u201cAmid American threats and military build-up indicating a dangerous escalation in the region, it is necessary [for all fighters] to prepare for a potentially long war of attrition,\u201d the group said in a statement.<\/p>\n

The commander told AFP that his group sees Iran as strategic to its own interests, and therefore any attack on the Islamic Republic \u201cdirectly threatens us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Iraqi armed groups under US sanctions did not intervene during the 12-day war between Israel and Iran last year, during which the US struck Iranian nuclear facilities. Hezbollah, the Iran-backed terror group in Lebanon, also didn\u2019t intervene<\/p>\n

This time, the commander said they would be \u201cless restrained,\u201d especially in the event of strikes seeking to overthrow the Iranian regime.<\/p>\n

Against the backdrop of the threats of conflict, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said on Friday, \u201cWe must not revert to violence as an organizing principle.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI am extremely alarmed about the potential for regional military escalation and its impact on civilians, and I hope the voice of reason prevails,\u201d Turk told the United Nations Human Rights Council.<\/p>\n

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