US ambassador advises staff to leave Israel 'immediately' amid rising Iran tensions: Report
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has advised American embassy staff to consider leaving Israel immediately amid escalating regional tensions involving Iran, according to a report by The New York Times.
In an email sent to US mission employees at 10:24 am on Friday, Huckabee said staff members who wished to depart should do so “today,” urging them to secure any available commercial flights to Washington.
“The first priority will be getting expeditiously out of the country,” he wrote.
While stressing that there was “no need to panic,” Huckabee cautioned that those desiring to leave should make plans to depart sooner rather than later.
The warning comes as Iran has threatened retaliation if the United States launches military action, stating that US bases across the region would be considered legitimate targets.
Such a move could put tens of thousands of American service members at risk. Tehran has also warned of strikes against Israel, raising fears that a wider regional conflict could erupt across the Middle East.
Huckabee recently appeared publicly alongside US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a visit to the Western Wall in Jerusalem in September 2025.
US–Iran talks
The heightened alert coincides with fragile diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran.
US President Donald Trump has demanded that Iran fully halt uranium enrichment, roll back its long-range missile programme, and end support for regional armed groups.
Iran has rejected these broader demands, saying it will only negotiate over its nuclear programme, which it maintains is purely peaceful.
Trump had earlier given Iran a 15-day deadline, on February 19, to reach a deal.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the US negotiating team is pressing Iran to dismantle its three main nuclear facilities and transfer all remaining enriched uranium to the United States.
Iran said on Friday that any agreement would require Washington to abandon what it called “excessive demands,” dampening optimism that talks could avert conflict.
A previous round of negotiations collapsed last year after Israel launched strikes on Iranian targets in June, triggering a 12-day conflict that briefly drew in the United States, which bombed Iranian nuclear facilities.
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