U.S. Urges Citizens to Leave Iran Immediately

The United States has issued an urgent plea for its citizens in Iran to leave the country "now" or, if that is not feasible, to find a secure place within their homes and devise an exit strategy without relying on assistance from the U.S. government.

This message was disseminated by the United States' virtual embassy in Iran on X, as Washington has not maintained a physical diplomatic presence in Tehran since relations were severed in 1980.

The communiqué highlighted a swiftly deteriorating security situation.

"Security measures are intensifying, roads are being closed, public transport is disrupted, and Internet access is being blocked," the warning stated.

The notice also pointed out that the Iranian government continues to restrict access to mobile and fixed networks, as well as national connectivity, while airlines are limiting or canceling flights to and from the country.

Given this situation, the U.S. advises its nationals to anticipate ongoing Internet outages, plan alternative methods of communication, and, if it is safe, consider leaving Iran by land to Armenia or Turkey.

The embassy emphasized that last-minute flight cancellations and disruptions could occur, complicating any efforts for an aerial evacuation.

For those unable to leave immediately, the advice is clear: they should seek a secure location within their residence or another building and have provisions of food, water, medication, and essentials.

Moreover, the U.S. government insists that all its citizens have a plan to exit Iran that does not depend on U.S. assistance due to operational limitations on the ground.

The warning includes a special section for those with dual U.S. and Iranian nationality. It is advised that they use their Iranian documents, as displaying a U.S. passport or demonstrating ties to the United States might provide Iranian authorities with enough reason to detain an individual.

The embassy also supplies information on open border crossings through which Americans may attempt to leave the country.

This warning comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to strike Iran if it continues suppressing protests against the regime.

Concurrently, negotiations began this Friday in Oman between the two nations, marking the first high-level meetings between Iranian and U.S. officials since the 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel, during which the U.S. participated by bombing Iranian nuclear facilities.

These talks are overshadowed by the possibility of military intervention. Trump has deployed the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and its strike group, which includes three missile destroyers, near Iranian waters in the Persian Gulf.

Trump has reiterated his willingness to use force if Tehran does not change its behavior, both domestically and in the nuclear arena.

Amid these diplomatic and military maneuvers, Iran's internal situation remains marked by a severe social crisis.

Washington has pressured the regime over the repression of demonstrators and claimed that, thanks to its intervention, hundreds of recent executions have been halted.

In mid-January, Trump warned that the United States would act "very strongly" if Iranian authorities carried out hangings against protesters.

The protests began in December as expressions of despair over a severe economic crisis, with a free-falling currency, rampant inflation, and increasingly harsh living conditions.

Over the weeks, they evolved into a massive call for change against the political system that has governed Iran for decades.

Amid the media blackout caused by Internet cuts, testimonies and videos circulated speaking of rows of body bags and thousands of fatalities.

Sources cited by CBS News feared at least 12,000 deaths, possibly exceeding 20,000.

Trump publicly expressed his support for the Iranian citizens taking to the streets and said that "a lot of help is on the way," including economic assistance.

He also announced the cancellation of all meetings with Iranian officials until the violence against the population ceased. "We don't want to see what's happening in Iran, and when thousands are killed… we'll see how it goes. It won't end well," he stated.

Days later, the U.S. government imposed new sanctions against Iranian officials and entities linked to the regime.

The Department of State and the Treasury designated Fardis prison, noted for severe abuses against women, as part of the measures, and sanctioned senior security officials for their role in the crackdown.

By the end of January, Trump went even further by announcing on Truth Social that a "massive armada" is heading toward Iran and that "time is running out" for Tehran to accept a new nuclear agreement.

According to the president, the deployment, led by the USS Abraham Lincoln, is larger than the one sent to Venezuela weeks earlier.

Sources from the Pentagon, cited by AP News and The Guardian, indicated that the fleet is conducting military exercises in the Middle East and has deployed fighter jets, destroyers, and support units in the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea in an operation named Iron Resolve.

Trump recalled last June's U.S. attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities and warned that a new offensive would be "much worse" if the regime does not accept a "fair and nuclear-free" agreement.

"It is ready, willing, and able to fulfill its mission swiftly and violently if necessary," he wrote.

In this context of diplomatic pressure, sanctions, military threats, and internal repression, the U.S. Embassy's warning to its citizens underscores the gravity of the moment.

Washington not only fears for the safety of Americans in Iran but also assumes that the situation could deteriorate quickly and unpredictably.