A US State Department official urged Americans to leave countries across the Middle East as a result of the war with Iran, sparking confusion as people scrambled to figure out if the message represented formal US policy.
The questions began on Monday when Mora Namdar, the assistant secretary of state for consular affairs, posted to X that Americans should “DEPART NOW” using “available commercial transportation.”
The post went viral in the region, as Iran’s retaliation to US and Israeli attacks sent missiles and explosive drones across the Gulf. Employees at international companies in Dubai contacted their firms to find out ...