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Tens of thousands of people, from Romanian religious pilgrims to tourists and family members of diplomats, are blocked across the Middle East as Iran the war spread throughout the region.
Major airlines canceled flights to and from the region, and airspace across the Gulf was closed. Some of those stranded have been forced to seek shelter amid airstrikes, while others are stuck on cruise ships that are currently unable to sail through the Strait of Hormuz.
In a major move on Monday, the US State Department urged all US citizens to leave more than a dozen Middle Eastern countries due to security risks from ongoing escalations that have plunged the region into significant chaos.
US Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Mora Namdar said on social media platform X that Americans in countries including Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Israel should “GO NOW” using any available commercial transportation.
The State Department also evacuated non-emergency personnel and families in six countries, adding the United Arab Emirates to its list on Tuesday. The United Arab Emirates, home to Dubai and Abu Dhabi and long considered a safe corner of the Middle East, has been drawn into the Iran war with intercepts and strikes.
In the meantime, the American ambassador in Israel told the Americans there that the best way to leave is through Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula.
Mike Huckabee wrote on social media early Tuesday that the embassy was receiving many requests to evacuate as embassy staff “sheltered in place.”
“There are VERY LIMITED options,” he wrote. “I’m not sure when Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv will reopen.” He advised Americans to take buses to the Egyptian resorts of Sharm el-Sheikh and Tabu in southern Sinai.
Governments are trying to bring citizens home
Governments around the world are trying to repatriate their citizens.
In Italy, the government helped with flights to Milan and Rome in light of mounting criticism against Defense Minister Guido Crosetto. The minister sparked political controversy at home after being stuck in Dubai with his family during the initial phase of the US-Israeli attack on Iran.
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Crosetto returned to Rome on Sunday on a military plane. The left-wing opposition called for Crosett’s resignation, saying he should not have traveled to the Middle East during the crisis. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni came to his defense.
An estimated 30,000 German tourists are stranded on cruise ships, in hotels or at closed airports in the Middle East, with the first flight from Dubai to Frankfurt, Germany, scheduled to land on Tuesday afternoon.
The German government is also seeking to charter planes at taxpayers’ expense to bring vulnerable people – including sick passengers, children and pregnant women – home.
France is also trying to organize the return of thousands of French nationals, the country’s foreign minister said on Tuesday. An estimated 200,000 French people live in the conflict-affected region, and authorities believe approximately 25,000 French nationals are currently visiting the area.
Returning travelers are relieved
Early Tuesday morning, Romanian tourists arrived in Bucharest after traveling from Israel to Cairo to escape the conflict. Hundreds of pilgrims from the Romanian Orthodox Church were stranded in Israel while visiting Bethlehem on a trip led by Romanian priests when war broke out. The group was forced to cut the trip short and return to Romania.
Pilgrim Mariana Muicaru said she was terrified during her stay in Israel as rockets flew across the sky.
“We called our children at 3 a.m. to ask for forgiveness because we might die and to tell them we love them and let them know we’re done,” she told The Associated Press.
The night before, British passengers stranded in the United Arab Emirates were relieved to land safely at London’s Heathrow Airport.
Adam Barton, who was traveling with his family from Abu Dhabi, said he received warnings while at the airport before leaving.
“We had an alert on our phone, saying to get away from the window because of potential rocket attacks,” Barton told Sky News.
Meanwhile, a flight from Dubai landed in the Serbian capital, Belgrade, early Tuesday morning with approximately 200 passengers on board.
One passenger told state broadcaster RTS that he was waiting at the hotel and was given 15 minutes to pack.
© 2026 The Canadian Press
