The State Department is letting non-essential personnel and the family members of diplomats at the US embassy in Israel leave the country as fears grow that war with Iran is imminent.
In an email to staff at the Jerusalem mission Friday morning, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee warned that those wishing to depart the Jewish state “should do so TODAY.”
“Focus on getting a seat to anyplace from which you can then continue travel to DC,” added the former Arkansas governor in the message, first reported by the New York Times, “but the first priority will be getting expeditiously out of country.”
Huckabee added that the decision to allow departures was made out of “an abundance of caution.”
“There is no need to panic,” he went on, “but for those desiring to leave, it’s important to make plans to depart sooner rather than later.”
Friday’s email follows unsuccessful indirect talks between the US and Iran in Geneva, Switzerland Thursday over Tehran’s nuclear program, though additional discussions were set to take place next week in Vienna, Austria.
Iran is likely to launch ballistic missile attacks against Israel in retaliation for any US strike.
This past June, 33 Israelis were killed and more than 3,200 injured in missile and drone attacks during the 12-day war with Iran.
As Thursday’s discussions concluded, Iranian state TV reported that Tehran was determined to continue enriching uranium, rejected proposals to transfer it abroad and sought the immediate lifting of international sanctions, rejecting three demands from US representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
The theocratic regime has also refused to broaden the discussions to cover Iran’s stockpile of ballistic missiles or its support for terror groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.
While the White House had no official comment on the Geneva talks, Vice President JD Vance told the Washington Post “there is no chance” that any US strike on Iran would result in a years-long Middle Eastern war.
“I think we all prefer the diplomatic option,” the VP added. “But it really depends on what the Iranians do and what they say.”
Multiple reports indicate that President Trump is mulling different possibilities for an Iran operation, including targeted strikes on military and nuclear strikes as well as so-called “decapitation” attacks meant to take out Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other high-ranking officials to lay the groundwork for regime change.
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