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What to do if you’re an American in the Middle East right now

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Americans in many Middle Eastern countries have been advised to shelter in place after the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Saturday.

The US Department of State Consular Affairs and related embassies posted on X that US citizens in countries including Iran, Bahrain, Jordan, UAE, Qatar, were advised to shelter in place until further notice.

Hours later it posted guidance for US citizens in Iraq, advising them to “exercise increased caution, limit their movements, and be prepared to shelter in place.”

“There are reports of missiles, drones, or rockets in Iraqi airspace. The security environment remains complex and can change quickly,” the US Department of State Consular Affairs wrote.

“If you are in Iraq, you should review your personal security plan and evaluate options to shelter in place or depart Iraq should the situation deteriorate,” it continued.

The US Embassy in Jerusalem said it had directed all US government employees and their families to shelter in place, and that Israel had closed airspace to all civilian flights.

The US Department of State Consular Affairs also warned of imminent drone and missile attacks in Bahrain.

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The US Embassy in Beirut wrote that the Department of State “urges U.S. citizens to depart Lebanon now while commercial options remain available.”

Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar have closed their airspaces. A video shared on Flightradar24 showed airplanes leaving the region.

Of the approximately 3,400 flights scheduled to the region, 230 were cancelled as of 12 p.m. Central European time, while 40 due to fly on Sunday were preemptively cancelled.

Airports in the region shared travel updates online. Dubai Airports said all flights at Dubai International and Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International were suspended until further notice. It advised passengers not to travel to those airports at this time, and to contact their respective airlines for updates on flights.

King Abdulaziz International Airport in Saudi Arabia, Hamad International Airport in Doha, and Abu Dhabi Airports gave similar advice to passengers.

In a video statement posted on social media on Saturday, President Donald Trump vowed to destroy Iran’s missile program and navy and said the objective of the strikes is to “defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats.”

“My administration has taken every possible step to minimize the risk to US personnel in the region. Even so — and I do not make this statement lightly — the Iranian regime seeks to kill,” Trump said.

“The lives of courageous American heroes may be lost, and we may have casualties. That often happens in war,” Trump continued.

This is a breaking story and will be updated.


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The US Navy is pulling more and more warships into its Middle East force buildup

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The US military added another warship to its large Middle East buildup in recent days, and a second carrier strike group is on its way, bringing additional fighter jets and missiles toward the region.

The large-scale deployment of American forces to the Middle East has escalated significantly this month as the Trump administration pressures Iran to strike a deal that would limit its nuclear and military capabilities.

As the US Navy’s Middle East force presence has grown, its footprint in the Caribbean Sea — once the site of a substantial show of force ahead of US military action against Venezuela and its former president Nicolás Maduro — has shrunk dramatically.

There are 10 warships and an aircraft carrier positioned in the Central Command area of responsibility, the Middle East, and two more vessels situated on the outskirts of the region, according to a defense official.

Middle East

Much of the US naval force in the Middle East was operating in the Arabian Sea as of Tuesday. That includes the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and its strike group — the guided-missile destroyers USS Spruance, USS Frank E. Petersen Jr., and USS Michael Murphy.


An F/A-18E Super Hornet, attached to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 14, prepares to make an arrested landing on the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) on Jan. 9, 2026.

The carrier Abraham Lincoln has dozens of embarked fighter jets.

US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Samuel Evarts



The Lincoln has dozens of embarked aircraft, including fighters, electronic attack jets, and early warning planes. The destroyers escorting the carrier are equipped with Tomahawk cruise missiles. Among its air wing are F-35 stealth fighters.

Three additional destroyers — USS Mitscher, USS McFaul, and USS Pinckney — are also in the Arabian Sea. Pinckney arrived in the region in the past couple of days, the defense official said.

Another destroyer, USS Delbert D. Black, is in the Red Sea. And three littoral combat ships — USS Santa Barbara, USS Tulsa, and USS Canberra — are in the Arabian Gulf. These warships are designed for near-shore operations.

European waters

USS Roosevelt and USS Bulkeley, two destroyers capable of ballistic missile defense, are operating in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, which is part of US Naval Forces Europe and Africa’s area of responsibility.

The defense official said the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford and its strike group — destroyers USS Mahan, USS Winston S. Churchill, and USS Bainbridge — are also operating under that command, which covers the eastern half of the Atlantic Ocean.


The world's largest aircraft carrier, Ford-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), transits the Caribbean Sea during Carrier Air Wing 8's aerial change of command ceremony, Jan. 19, 2026.

The Ford is the Navy’s largest and most advanced carrier.

US Navy photo



The Ford carrier strike group had been operating in the Caribbean for months. However, earlier this month, it was reported that the Navy’s newest and most advanced aircraft carrier was being sent to the Middle East.

As of Wednesday, the aircraft carrier was operating off the coast of Morocco near the Strait of Gibraltar, ship-tracking data shows.

Two additional destroyers — USS Thomas Hudner and USS Stockdale — that were previously in the Caribbean are now in the US Naval Forces Europe and Africa area of responsibility as well.

Caribbean

The departure of Ford and the five destroyers has diminished the Navy’s presence in the Caribbean, which falls under the Southern Command area of responsibility.

The US armed forces initially positioned a large number of warships in the waters near Venezuela last year as part of President Donald Trump’s effort to pressure Maduro. A few weeks after his capture, a dozen vessels were still present in the region.


Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg prepares to steam alongside Supply-class fast combat support ship USNS Supply and San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28), in the Caribbean Sea, January 29, 2026.

The Navy had a dozen warships deployed to the Caribbean earlier this year.

US Navy photo



Now, only five remain, the defense official said. Those include the cruiser USS Lake Erie, the destroyer USS Truxtun, the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima, and the amphibious transport dock ships USS Fort Lauderdale and USS San Antonio.

Eyes on Iran

The US and Iran held indirect talks earlier in the week, and officials hinted that additional dialogue could be on the horizon.

However, US military assets — including aircraft such as fighter jets and refueling tankers — are still moving into and toward the Middle East, giving Trump plenty of options to strike Iran for a second time, which he has threatened. The US military bombed Iran’s nuclear sites last year as part of Operation Midnight Hammer.

Iran, meanwhile, conducted military exercises in the strategic Strait of Hormuz this week, and Tehran’s leadership warned the US warships deployed to the region that it is capable of sinking them in the event of a fight.




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Nathan Rennolds

Huge winter storm barrels toward East Coast as snow and ice blanket large parts of US

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A massive winter storm is battering the US this weekend, bringing heavy snow, sleet, and freezing rain to millions of Americans.

The storm, which is set to stretch over 2,000 miles from New Mexico to Maine, hit the south-central US on Friday night and has since been making its way eastward.

The National Weather Service (NWS) warned it would move into the Mid-Atlantic states on Saturday night before pushing into the Northeast late on Sunday, leading to “considerable impacts” to much of the eastern half of the US.

Here’s where the storm is set to hit hardest.


US winter storm hits Little Rock, Arkansas, in 2026.

Impact of the storm on Little Rock, Arkansas.

Will Newton/Getty Images



Heavy snow is continuing to fall across large parts of the US on Sunday morning, but it is expected to concentrate in eastern regions by the evening.

The NWS has predicted that more than 12 inches could fall from the Ohio Valley through the northern mid-Atlantic and Northeast on Sunday, with almost double that possible in parts of New England and the inner Northeast.

The agency said power outages, tree damage, and dangerous travel conditions are also likely across parts of the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic as a result of freezing rains and lingering icing.

Major cities in the weather system’s projected path include Atlanta, Charlotte, Richmond, Washington, DC, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul said she had “authorized all state employees to work remotely on Monday” in an effort to reduce travel.

“I encourage other employers to do the same, just to keep people off the roads and think about this,” she said.

Some of the worst hit states so far include Arkansas, where some areas recorded around seven inches of snowfall through Friday night into Saturday.

The NWS said the state had so far experienced “wave one” of the storm, with a second wave due to hit overnight into Sunday.

Oklahoma, which saw several inches of snow on Friday night, was also bracing for a second round of snow into Sunday.

Speaking to Fox News on Saturday, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt said the state could deal with the snow and that he was more concerned with power outages.

More than 430,000 customers from New Mexico to Kentucky are without power as of Sunday morning, according to PowerOutage.us.


American Airlines plane during winter storm 2026.

An American Airlines plane pictured during the winter storm.

Ron Jenkins/Getty Images



Moving forward, the NWS said heavy snowfall is likely to lead to “widespread travel disruptions and closures” that could last a number of days.

Travel has already been hit hard this weekend, with airlines canceling thousands of flights across Saturday and Sunday.

Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina and Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International are the worst affected airports on Sunday, per flight-tracking site FlightAware.

Many airlines are waiving rebooking fees for flights to and from affected regions.




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