The United States on Friday authorized some embassy personnel in Israel to depart “due to safety risks,” as tensions in the Middle East continue to rise.
The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem said non-emergency staff and family members of embassy employees may leave following approval from the State Department. The embassy also advised U.S. citizens to consider leaving Israel while commercial flights remain available.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned he could order strikes on Iran if negotiations to limit its nuclear program collapse, and has deployed a large naval and air presence to the region. Speaking to reporters Friday, Trump said he was frustrated with Iran’s negotiating stance but had not decided on military action: “I’m not happy with the fact that they’re not willing to give us what we have to have,” he said. “I’m not thrilled.”
Iran has warned that an attack would prompt it to target American bases in the region and could include missile strikes against U.S. ally Israel.
Several countries updated their travel guidance and began moving nonessential personnel. Germany’s foreign ministry urgently discouraged travel to Israel and east Jerusalem. France advised its citizens not to travel to Israel given the security situation. China’s embassy urged vigilance, recommended that citizens familiarize themselves with nearby bomb shelters and avoid going out, and told Chinese nationals to evacuate Iran as soon as possible. The U.K. said it had temporarily withdrawn embassy staff from Iran.
On the diplomatic front, talks between the U.S. and Iran remain stalled. Trump gave Iran 10 to 15 days on Feb. 19 to reach a deal on its nuclear program or face unspecified consequences. Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi, acting as mediator, was expected to meet with U.S. Vice President JD Vance in Washington after a third round of talks in Geneva ended without a breakthrough.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said negotiations require seriousness and realism from the other side and warned against miscalculation and excessive demands. He told state television the talks “made very good progress” and suggested another round could come in less than a week.
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with Oman’s foreign minister in Geneva as part of the mediation efforts. Washington is pressing for cuts to Iran’s missile program, reduced support for armed groups in the region, and an end to uranium enrichment. Iran is seeking the lifting of U.S. sanctions and insists it has a sovereign right to enrich uranium.
The State Department said Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to travel to Israel early next week to discuss the situation. Technical discussions at the U.N. nuclear agency are also expected to begin in Vienna on Monday.
A confidential report from the International Atomic Energy Agency said Friday it has not been able to access Iranian nuclear sites affected by attacks last June, so it cannot verify the size of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile or whether enrichment has stopped. The report urged Tehran to allow inspections at those sites “without any further delay,” calling such access “indispensable and urgent.” The IAEA estimates Iran had about 440.9 kilograms of uranium enriched up to 60 percent purity — a level short of the roughly 90 percent considered weapons-grade but closer than needed for civilian power, and one that the agency said could, if weaponized, be enough for as many as 10 bombs. Iran maintains its program is for civilian purposes.
Edited by: Sean Sinico