MidEast travel warning

This item appears on page 18 of the February 2020 issue.

After a US airstrike killed a high-ranking member of the Iranian military near the Baghdad International Airport in Iraq on Jan. 2, Iran pledged to retaliate against American interests in the Middle East. The US Embassy in Baghdad made a statement within a few hours of the killing recommending that US citizens leave Iraq immediately. US embassies in nearby countries, such as Kuwait, Israel and Lebanon, though not citing any specific threats, also warned that Iran could target Americans in those countries.

The US does not have any diplomatic missions in Iran. The Embassy of Switzerland in Iran handles US citizen services in the country. It had not released any information for US citizens by press time.