US Embassy in Qatar tells Americans to shelter in place as Iran plans retaliation
Qatar also announced the temporary suspension of air traffic as a precautionary measure.
“Out of an abundance of caution we recommend American citizens shelter in place until further notice,” the embassy said in a statement posted to social media.
Hours later, the Qatari Foreign Ministry announced the temporary suspension of air traffic in Qatar’s airspace “out of concern for the safety of citizens, residents, and visitors.”
Qatar hosts the largest US military presence in the Middle East, with more than 8,000 troops stationed at Al-Udeid Air Base outside the capital Doha. As the forward headquarters of US Central Command, the base was used as a major staging ground during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Satellite imagery analyzed by Agence France-Presse indicates the US military quietly moved dozens of unsheltered aircraft out of Al-Udeid sometime between June 5 and June 19.
Juru bicara Kementerian Luar Negeri Qatar, Majed al-Ansari, mengatakan dalam sebuah pernyataan bahwa peringatan “dari sejumlah kedutaan kepada warganya tidak mencerminkan adanya ancaman spesifik.”
Inggris mengeluarkan peringatan serupa kepada warga negara Inggris di Qatar pada hari Senin, mendesak mereka untuk berlindung di tempat “untuk sangat berhati-hati.”
The warnings come a day after the State Department issued a “Worldwide Caution” alert — its first since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
The State Department raised its travel advisory for Israel last week to “Level 4 – Do Not Travel,” warning Americans against traveling to the country due to the potential for “armed conflict, terrorism and civil unrest.”
Pada hari Sabtu, Departemen Luar Negeri memulai evakuasi sukarela terhadap warga negara AS dan penduduk tetap dari Israel dan Tepi Barat. Dua penerbangan pertama berangkat dari Tel Aviv ke Athena pada hari Sabtu, membawa sekitar 70 warga negara AS dan keluarga mereka serta penduduk tetap AS yang sah, kata seorang pejabat negara kepada Al-Monitor yang tidak mau disebutkan namanya.
In neighboring Lebanon, the State Department ordered the departure of family members and non-emergency US government personnel “due to the volatile and unpredictable security situation in the region.” It also advised US diplomats in Turkey to maintain a low profile and avoid travel to the southern city of Adana, the site of angry protests in 2023 over US support for Israel’s war in Gaza.
More US diplomatic personnel left Iraq over the weekend following the initial drawdown on June 12, the State Department said. The US Embassy in Baghdad and consulate in Erbil have temporarily suspended all routine visa services.
Hundreds of American citizens have evacuated Iran using land routes since the start of Israel’s attacks, according to an internal US cable obtained by Reuters. The United States does not have an embassy in Tehran and instead relies on Switzerland to represent US interests.
This developing story has been updated since initial publication.
