Washington Greenlights Exit From Israel As Security Picture Darkens

The United States has accelerated preparations that officials and analysts say could support a potential large-scale military strike on Iran, marked by a critical diplomatic drawdown and a historic massing of regional forces.

On February 27, the U.S. State Department officially updated its travel advisory, authorizing the departure of non-emergency government personnel and their families from Mission Israel. In an overnight email, Ambassador Mike Huckabee urged staff wishing to leave to “do so TODAY,” signaling an urgent window for departure before commercial options could become limited if regional security degrades further.

???? ????The US embassy in Jerusalem tells workers they can leave Israel — and if they want to leave they need to do so immediately, per an email from Ambassador Mike Huckabee sent Friday night.

If staff want to leave, he wrote, they
“should do so TODAY.”

— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) February 27, 2026

This diplomatic “pullback” comes amid heightened security measures inside Israel. In Beersheba, municipal authorities have reportedly ordered public bomb shelters opened as a precaution. Israeli officials have previously said that more than 27,000 projectiles have been launched at the country by Hamas and other militant groups since October 2023. The U.S. Embassy has warned that the security environment remains volatile and subject to rapid change, advising Americans to reconsider travel to Israel and the Judea and Samaria area.

On the military front, the Pentagon has established what analysts call a “pincer” formation, comprising the largest regional buildup since 2003. Two carrier strike groups — the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea and the USS Gerald R. Ford off the coast of Haifa — provide a two-front aerial corridor. This naval presence is supported by more than 100 fuel tankers and 200 cargo planes, indicating preparations for a sustained campaign rather than a surgical raid.

Crucially, the U.S. has shifted its elite air assets to Israel due to basing restrictions in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. For the first time, 12 F-22 Raptors are stationed at Ovda Air Base to provide air superiority and suppress Iranian air defenses. These jets, alongside a newly deployed Patriot missile battery, are intended to protect strike packages and intercept expected Iranian “swarms” of drones and missiles.

Meanwhile, indirect negotiations continue in Geneva, though the Trump administration has indicated that key disputes remain unresolved, including restrictions on Iran’s ballistic missile program and the scope of any nuclear rollback. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Iran’s missile development remains a central obstacle. With a March 13 deadline approaching, analysts say U.S. military posture suggests that the window for a diplomatic resolution is rapidly closing.