U.S. Embassies Issue 14 New Travel Alerts Including Popular Tourist Destinations

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The global travel landscape has shifted dramatically over the last 24 hours. While rapidly escalating conflicts in the Middle East have triggered massive evacuation orders, the U.S. State Department has also issued urgent security updates for highly popular tourist destinations across the globe.

Overnight, officials released 14 urgent embassy alerts affecting commercial airspace, border crossings, and triggering strict shelter-in-place directives.

If you are currently abroad or heading to the airport this week, here is the unfiltered, ground-truth breakdown of what you need to know to navigate these global disruptions safely.

Global Alerts: Grid Failures, Terrorism & Concerts

Before diving into the Middle East evacuations, travelers heading to popular international hubs need to be aware of three major, immediate disruptions.

• Cuba (Havana): The situation has rapidly deteriorated from rolling 12-to-18-hour blackouts to a TOTAL grid failure as of March 16. The U.S. Embassy notes there is currently no timeline for power restoration across the island.

• Netherlands: A terrorism alert has been issued. U.S. citizens are urged to exercise heightened vigilance and actively avoid major tourist spots and busy transit hubs until further notice.

The Traveler Safety Index for the Netherlands is currently sitting at a score of 75.

• South Korea (Seoul): An unprecedented 250,000-person public concert will take over Gwanghwamun Square on Saturday, March 21. The South Korean government has officially issued a “caution” level crisis alert, explicitly warning of a potential “Mass Gathering Crowd Disaster.” Travelers in central Seoul should expect severe logistical chaos, including massive road closures, heavy security perimeters, and paralyzed public transit near Gyeongbokgung Palace and the U.S. Embassy.

The Traveler Safety Index for South Korea is currently at 85

Travelers are urged to check the Traveler Dashboard daily to see the most recent U.S. Embassy alerts, State Department Travel Advisories and real-time safety scores for your destination.

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The Middle East: Evacuations & Flight Closures

The bulk of the overnight alerts heavily focus on extracting citizens from the Middle East as commercial airspace becomes severely compromised.

• Iraq: Airspace is completely CLOSED. The embassy warns of violent riots and a high kidnapping risk. U.S. citizens are urged to leave overland immediately.
• Kuwait: Commercial flights are completely SUSPENDED. To evacuate overland, you absolutely must download and use the “Sahel” app to secure a mandatory exit permit before reaching the border.
• Lebanon: Commercial aviation is severely restricted. Currently, only Middle East Airlines is operating, and the embassy is processing emergency passports only.
• Israel: El Al is operating active evacuation flights, but travelers must adhere to strict baggage limits. If you are evacuating overland via the Taba border crossing, you must bring exactly $85 in cash for border fees.

The Traveler Safety Index score for Israel is still showing travelers do not feel safe and is currently at 31 as of publishing.

• Qatar: Commercial flights are highly limited, and an active shelter-in-place order has been issued for U.S. personnel.
• United Arab Emirates: Access to the airport is restricted strictly to ticketed, confirmed travelers.
  
  Crucial Warning: Taking or resharing video footage of military, drone, or missile incidents in the UAE is illegal and will result in criminal prosecution.

The Traveler Safety Index for Dubai has dropped to 53 in stark contrast to its score of 85 before the conflict.

Overland Border Bottlenecks & Checkpoints

As flights are grounded across the region, travelers are being forced into strict overland routes that are experiencing massive operational changes.

• Jordan: Border crossing hours have been severely restricted. The King Hussein bridge is only open from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM (and completely closed on Saturdays). The Wadi Araba crossing is restricted to 7:30 AM to 9:00 PM.
• Iran: The embassy warns of dangerous “snap checkpoints” being set up by authorities using unmarked vehicles, specifically targeting dual nationals.

Strict Shelter-In-Place & Movement Restrictions

If you cannot safely reach an extraction flight or open land border, several nations are under severe movement restrictions due to active military threats.

• Saudi Arabia: The Embassy has explicitly warned citizens to avoid hotels and the embassy itself, as they are currently being tracked as potential targets amid active drone and missile threats.
• Bahrain: A strict shelter-in-place order is active. Similar to the UAE, filming any military activity or strikes is considered a criminal offense.
• Oman: Authorities have implemented a strict 50km movement restriction radius around the capital city of Muscat.

For safety alerts and travel advisories for your destination, check the Traveler Dashboard daily before your trip.

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