The US asks its citizens to leave 14 Middle Eastern countries due to "serious risks"

Washington.- The U.S. State Department asked its citizens on Monday to immediately leave 14 countries and territories in the Middle East due to "serious risks" to their safety following the war against Iran initiated over the weekend by the U.S. and Israel.

In a message shared on social media, the State Department recommends "depart now by commercial means due to serious security risks" from Bahrain, Kuwait, Egypt, Lebanon, Iran, Oman, Iraq, Qatar, Israel, West Bank and Gaza, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Jordan, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

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Iran is responding to Operation Epic Fury by launching drones and missiles against US installations in different countries in the Middle East. In turn, in countries like Iraq, there have been attempts by groups of people trying to attack the embassy, which has forced the police to intervene. Some U.S. embassies in the 14 countries and territories mentioned above have already published specific messages recommending that their citizens evacuate as soon as possible. The U.S. embassy in Lebanon, for example, urges Americans to leave the country "right now, while commercial flight options are still available" as the security situation "is unstable and unpredictable."

"We recommend that those who decide not to leave (the country) prepare contingency plans for emergency situations and be prepared to shelter in place if the situation deteriorates further", adds the message from the US mission in Lebanon.

The attacks launched on Saturday by the US and Israel against Iran have ended the life of the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and other figures from the top of the Islamic republic and US President Donald Trump himself said today that the operation could last more than five weeks.