On the 28th (local time), as the United States, together with Israel, carried out a surprise airstrike on Iran, it ordered embassy staff in Middle Eastern countries near Iran to evacuate.
According to the Associated Press, U.S. embassies and consulates in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Jordan, and Israel instructed staff via social media (SNS) to remain indoors. It also advised all Americans staying in those areas to "do the same until further notice."
The U.S. Department of State a day earlier approved the departure of some staff at the U.S. Embassy in Israel and their families, citing safety risks. At the time, the embassy notified that U.S. government employees and their families could be restricted, without prior notice, from traveling to certain areas such as Jerusalem's Old City and the West Bank.
Earlier, on the 23rd, the U.S. Department of State also ordered the departure of staff at the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon and their families, citing the security situation.
With the U.S. attack on Iran becoming a reality, more countries are expected to order embassy staff in the Middle East to evacuate. The British government also recently withdrew its embassies in Iran and Israel as security concerns mounted across the Middle East.