In response, Iran reportedly launched retaliatory attacks, with strikes occurring in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. Iran reportedly targeted the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, prompting President Donald Trump to declare what actions he intends to take in response to the act of aggression.
Which countries are deemed unsafe for U.S. citizens?
As the conflict unfolds, the State Department has urged American citizens in Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen to depart as quickly as possible.
According to the State Department’s website, the advisory for the United Arab Emirates states: “On March 2, 2026, the Department of State ordered non-emergency U.S. government employees and U.S. government family members to leave the United Arab Emirates due to the threat of armed conflict.”
The statement further notes that since hostilities between the U.S. and Iran began on February 28, there has been an ongoing risk of drone and missile attacks from Iran, along with major disruptions to commercial air travel, with airspace and multiple airports forced to temporarily postpone operations in the region. The Iranian government has also publicly declared its intent to strike locations in the UAE connected to the United States.
Trump’s update on the current state of affairs
The warning comes after Trump suggested the conflict could stretch on for another month or even longer. Speaking to NBC News, he said, “It’s OK. We’re already substantially ahead of our time projections. But whatever the time is, it’s OK.” He added, “Right from the beginning, we projected four to five weeks, but we have capability to go far longer than that.”
Elsewhere, Trump described Operation Epic Fury as “the largest, most complex, most overwhelming military offensives the world has ever seen.” Referring to Khamenei, he said, “Iran’s formerly supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, is dead. This wretched and vile man had the blood of hundreds and even thousands of Americans on his hands, and was responsible for the slaughter of countless thousands of innocent people, all across many countries.”
In the same address, Trump confirmed that he expects further casualties within the United States military following the deaths of four U.S. service personnel, “Sadly, there will likely be more before it ends,” the president stated. He added, “That’s the way it is. [There will] likely be more but we’ll do everything possible where that won’t be the case.”