A Newsweek map shows where Americans have been warned against traveling in the Middle East and Asia as tensions with Iran continue to escalate amid the repeated delay of nuclear negotiations with the United States.
While the majority of U.S. advisories for countries in the Middle East and Asia have been in place since before President Donald Trump’s administration began on January 20, U.S. tensions with the regions are making headlines as fears of war brew.
The Context
Trump wants the “full dismantlement” of Iran’s nuclear program and began talks with the country in April, after pulling the U.S. out of a previous nuclear agreement in 2018.
But talks have been delayed multiple times. A fourth round of talks scheduled to take place in Rome on Saturday was postponed for “logistical and technical reasons,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said.
Trump issued a sweeping threat on social media on Thursday warning that “any country or person” purchasing oil or petrochemicals from Iran will face immediate U.S. sanctions.
He added that violators “will not be allowed to do business with the United States of America in any way, shape, or form.” China, Iran’s largest oil customer, is widely seen as a primary target of the message.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio added to Trump’s stance, stating that Iran must end uranium enrichment and grant U.S. inspectors full access to its nuclear facilities or face severe consequences, including possible military action. “There’s no reason for enrichment unless you want a weapon,” Rubio told Fox News’ Hannity show.
What To Know
The countries receiving updated U.S. travel advisories since Trump’s administration began are: Iran, Kuwait, Syria and Yemen.
Iran, Yemen and Syria, updated on March 31 and March 3 respectively, are classed as under the level 4 “do not travel” category by the U.S. Department of State.
These countries have long been classed this way by the U.S, but these recent updates include changes to the warnings, including new information about detention risks, terrorism dangers and conflict developments.
Kuwait, updated on April 8, is classed as level 1 (exercise normal precautions) with Americans told to exercise increased caution in certain areas, including Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh area in Kuwait City because of crime.
The advisory also says: “Do not travel to the desert area near the border with Iraq because of bombs, shells, and land mines left over from the 1990 Gulf War.”
Full List of Travel Advisories
The following countries are under a Level 4: Do Not Travel warning:
Gaza: Terrorism and armed conflictIran: Terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, arbitrary arrest of U.S. citizens, and wrongful detentionIraq: Terrorism, kidnapping, armed conflict, civil unrest, and the U.S. government’s limited capacity to provide assistance to U.S. citizensLebanon: Crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, unexploded land mines, and the risk of armed conflictSyria: Terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, hostage taking, armed conflict, and unjust detentionYemen: Terrorism, civil unrest, crime, health risks, kidnapping, armed conflict, and land mines
The following countries are under a Level 3: Reconsider Travel warning:
West Bank: Terrorism and civil unrestIsrael: Terrorism and civil unrest
The following countries are under a Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution warning:
The following countries are under a Level 1 Exercise Normal Precautions warning:
What People Are Saying
Iranian Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi has called Trump’s approach “destructive and unlawful,” telling Iranian state media: “His confrontational approach has caused tensions with many countries and undermined global order.”
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated: “They have to walk away from sponsoring terrorists, they have to walk away from helping the Houthis (in Yemen), they have to walk away from building long-range missiles that have no purpose to exist other than having nuclear weapons, and they have to walk away from enrichment.”
What Happens Next
A senior Iranian official told Reuters that the date for the next round of talks will “depend on the U.S. approach.”
“U.S. sanctions on Iran during the nuclear talks are not helping the sides to resolve the nuclear dispute through diplomacy,” they said.
Newsweek has contacted the U.S. Department of State, via email, for comment.
