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Deadline looms for Iran-US nuclear deal
As the deadline set by President Trump nears, nuclear discussions between the United States and Iran are gaining momentum in Switzerland. Vice President JD Vance confidently asserts that an interminable conflict in the Middle East is not on the horizon.
The U.S. State Department has given the green light for non-essential staff at the American Embassy in Jerusalem to exit Israel in anticipation of potential Iranian strikes. Announced early on Friday, this decision comes with a warning that additional travel restrictions within Israel may be imposed on U.S. government personnel without prior notice, in response to security threats.
Following a series of meetings and late-night phone conversations from Thursday into Friday, The New York Times reported on an email from U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, advising embassy staff of the situation. The email, reportedly reviewed by the publication, explained that the move was driven by “an abundance of caution,” urging those who wish to depart to make immediate travel arrangements.
Ambassador Huckabee further advised that employees should look for flights departing from Ben Gurion Airport to any available destination, highlighting that the embassy’s decision is likely to trigger a high demand for airline seats on that day.
The U.S. has officially sanctioned the departure of non-essential embassy personnel from Israel due to rising tensions with Iran.
In the email, Huckabee also said that there was “no need to panic,” but he underscored that those looking to leave should “make plans to depart sooner rather than later,” the Times reported.
“Focus on getting a seat to anyplace from which you can then continue travel to D.C., but the first priority will be getting expeditiously out of country,” Huckabee said in the email, according to the Times.
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, U.S. President Donald Trump’s nominee to be ambassador to Israel, arrives to testify during his Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Mar. 25, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
The embassy reiterated the State Department’s advisory for U.S. citizens to reconsider traveling to Israel and the West Bank “due to terrorism and civil unrest.” Additionally, the department advised that U.S. citizens not travel to Gaza because of terrorism and armed conflict, as well as northern Israel, particularly within 2.5 miles of the Lebanese and Syrian borders because of “continued military presence and activity.”Â
It also recommended that U.S. citizens not travel within 1.5 miles of the Egyptian border, with the exception of the Taba crossing, which remains open.
“Terrorist groups, lone-actor terrorists and other violent extremists continue plotting possible attacks in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza. Terrorists and violent extremists may attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, and local government facilities,” the embassy said in its warning. “The security environment is complex and can change quickly, and violence can occur in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza without warning.”
Israeli and U.S. flags are placed on the road leading to the U.S. consulate in the Jewish neighborhood of Arnona, on the East-West Jerusalem line in Jerusalem, May 9, 2018. (Corinna Kern/picture alliance via Getty Images)
While the embassy did not specifically mention Iran in its warning, it referenced “increased regional tensions” that could “cause airlines to cancel and/or curtail flights into and out of Israel.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the State Department and the White House for comment on this matter.
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