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.
WASHINGTON — The US Embassy in Qatar on Monday advised Americans in the Gulf country to shelter in place until further notice as the region braces for Iran’s retaliation following US strikes on its nuclear sites.
"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.
The spokesperson for the Qatari Foreign Ministry, Majed al-Ansari, said in a statement that the warnings “from a number of embassies to their citizens do not reflect the existence of specific threats.”
The United Kingdom issued a similar advisory to British citizens in Qatar on Monday, urging them to shelter in place “out of an abundance of caution.”
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 conflict between Israel and Iran has resulted in disruptions to travel and periodic closure of airspace across the Middle East,” the department said in a statement. “There is the potential for demonstrations against US citizens and interests abroad.”
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."
On Saturday, the State Department began voluntary evacuations of US citizens and permanent residents from Israel and the West Bank. The first two flights departed from Tel Aviv to Athens on Saturday, carrying about 70 US citizens and their families along with permanent legal US residents, a State official told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity.
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.
