Embassy staff in Israel have been authorized to to leave the country.
The authorization came Friday morning as Ambassador Mike Huckabee urged those wanting to depart to “do so TODAY.” This comes as fears mount over a possible U.S. strike on Iran, per Mediaite.
An email sent at 10:24 a.m. local time when Huckabee told employees the decision came after overnight meetings and discussions with the State Department. The move is taken out of “an abundance of caution” and with staff safety as the priority.
Those choosing to leave “should do so TODAY,” he wrote, according to the New York Times. He advised staff to secure seats on outbound flights from Ben-Gurion Airport to any destination available.
“Focus 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,” he wrote.
The embassy moved to an “authorized departure” footing, which allows nonessential personnel and their dependents to evacuate at government expense when U.S. national interests or an imminent threat to life requires it.
“There is no need to panic,” Huckabee wrote, “but for those desiring to leave, it’s important to make plans to depart sooner rather than later.”
There were six hours of talks in Geneva Thursday between Washington and Tehran. The meetings ended without a breakthrough. Iranian officials said negotiations would continue next week; the White House declined to comment.
The State Department also urged Americans to “reconsider travel” to Israel and the West Bank, citing “terrorism and civil unrest,” as regional tensions escalate.
