The U.S. State Department on Sept. 19 urged Americans outside the Middle East to seriously reconsider travel to or through the region, while telling those already there to stay vigilant amid possible flight cancellations, airspace closures and other disruptions.
The advisory covers Egypt, Israel, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia; the UAE has separately been at Level 3, “reconsider travel,” since March 2026, citing drone and missile threats from Iran and commercial-flight disruptions. Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen carry the department’s highest “do not travel” rating.
The notice warns that U.S. diplomatic facilities have been targeted outside the Middle East and says Iran and groups supportive of it may target U.S. interests worldwide; it tells travelers to monitor airport and airline operations. Houthi strikes targeted Riyadh and Yanbu over the weekend beginning Sept. 19, causing a fuel-depot fire near King Khalid Airport; Saudi-bound flights remain severely disrupted. Airlines have repeatedly delayed restarting routes to Dubai, Doha and Tel Aviv, while British Airways permanently canceled London–Abu Dhabi service, citing uncertainty and airspace restrictions.
