Washington DC [US], March 3 (ANI): The United States has issued an urgent advisory asking American citizens to 'depart now' from over a dozen Middle Eastern countries due to 'serious safety risks,' as tensions escalated following coordinated US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran and Tehran's retaliatory strikes against the US allies in the Gulf.

Sharing a video message in a post on X, Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged its citizens to immediately depart from several Middle Eastern countries, citing 'serious safety risks.'

'To all American citizens in the Middle East: your safety and security is our number one priority. Sign up to receive STEP alerts at http://step.state.gov. Get information at @TravelGov and you can call the department 24/7 at +1-202-501-4444,' Rubio wrote in its post.

https://x.com/secrubio/status/2028604544326705290

Separately, in a post on X, Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs Mora Namdar wrote, 'The @SecRubio @StateDept urges Americans to DEPART NOW from the countries below using available commercial transportation, due to serious safety risks. Americans who need State Department assistance arranging to depart via commercial means, CALL US 24/7 at +1-202-501-4444 (from abroad) and +1-888-407-4747 (from the U.S. and Canada). ENROLL in http://step.state.gov to get the latest security updates from the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate,' the post read.

https://x.com/asstsecstateca/status/2028588420403241021

The advisory, updated on March 2 at 4 pm EST, applies to Bahrain, Kuwait, Egypt, Lebanon, Iran, Oman, Iraq, Qatar, Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.

Meanwhile, United States Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that six US service members have been killed in action amid ongoing hostilities in the Middle East following Iran's initial attacks in the region.

In a post on X, CENTCOM wrote, 'TAMPA, Fla. - As of 4 pm ET, March 2, six U.S. service members have been killed in action. U.S. forces recently recovered the remains of two previously unaccounted-for service members from a facility that was struck during Iran's initial attacks in the region. Major combat operations continue. The identities of the fallen are being withheld until 24 hours after next of kin notification.'

https://x.com/centcom/status/2028576582445437039

This came against the backdrop of coordinated US and Israeli airstrikes across multiple Iranian cities on February 28, targeting military command centres, air-defence systems, missile sites, and key regime infrastructure.

These strikes resulted in the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and four senior military and security officials, with large explosions reported in Tehran and other major cities.

In response, Iran retaliated by launching ballistic missiles and drones at US assets and allies across the region, including Israel, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan, further widening the conflict in the Middle East and heightening risks for civilians and expatriates alike.

Earlier today, President Donald Trump said that the United States will continue its military operation against Iran to 'eliminate the regime's missile capabilities', nuclear ambitions, and support for terrorism. (ANI)