The U.S. Embassy is attempting to evacuate US citizens from the country, says Ambassador Mike Huckabee.
The U.S. ambassador to Israel confirmed that the U.S. Embassy is working to evacuate Americans from the country amid an Iran–Israel aerial conflict that has lasted more than five days.
“Urgent notice! American citizens wanting to leave Israel—US Embassy in Israel @usembassyjlm is working on evacuation flights & cruise ship departures,” U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee wrote on social media platform X on June 18.
Urgent notice! American citizens wanting to leave Israel- US Embassy in Israel @usembassyjlm is working on evacuation flights & cruise ship departures.
— Ambassador Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) June 18, 2025
You must enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) (https://t.co/rXymPRTQJJ) You will be alerted w/ updates.
Huckabee added that American citizens in the country must enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to get travel alerts and updates.
A security alert released by the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem on June 17 said that all U.S. government employees and family members should shelter in place. The embassy will be closed from June 18 to June 20.
It further noted that Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport and seaports are still closed but that land crossings into Jordan are still in operation.
The U.S. State Department has a “do not travel” advisory to anywhere in Israel because of terrorism, civil unrest, and armed conflict. Before the air strikes erupted late last week, the State Department had listed only Israel’s West Bank and Gaza under a “Level 4 – Do Not Travel” advisory because of the war between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas since October 2023.
While Iran has undertaken deadly missile strikes on Israeli cities, Israel’s warplanes have crisscrossed the Middle East, hitting Iranian nuclear installations and missile stockpiles and killing scientists and generals. Most of Iran’s military leadership has been taken out in Israeli strikes since June 13.
On June 16 and 17, several Israeli officials and U.S. President Donald Trump declared the establishment of air superiority over Iran.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on June 16 that Israel’s control of Iranian airspace was “a game-changer,” while a top adviser, Tzachi Hanegbi, said that Israeli pilots could operate “against countless more targets” over Tehran after air defense systems were destroyed.
