Lead: On Feb. 27, 2026, the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem authorized staff to leave Israel amid intelligence and planning that officials described as indicating a possible U.S. strike on Iran. Ambassador Mike Huckabee emailed mission personnel at 10:24 a.m. local time urging those who wished to depart to do so immediately, emphasizing swift travel from Ben-Gurion Airport. The advisory followed overnight consultations with the State Department and was framed as an abundance of caution to prioritize staff safety. KLM has already suspended service to Israel, complicating outbound travel options.
Key Takeaways
- On Feb. 27, 2026, the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem authorized departure for staff; Ambassador Mike Huckabee sent an email at 10:24 a.m. local time urging immediate travel.
- Officials described the move as based on an abundance of caution after meetings and calls with the State Department were held through the night.
- The embassy advised staff to seek any available seat leaving Ben-Gurion Airport to travel onward to Washington or other destinations quickly.
- KLM announced suspension of service to Israel, citing commercial and operational considerations, increasing demand for remaining seats.
- Officials warned outbound seat availability could be limited; they noted there might be additional flights later but none were guaranteed.
- The advisory does not constitute an ordered evacuation, but shifts embassy posture to prioritize rapid departure for personnel who choose to leave.
Background
Over recent months, tensions between the United States and Iran have periodically spiked amid a series of regional incidents and intelligence assessments. U.S. and allied officials have been monitoring activities that they say could precede or prompt military action, prompting contingency planning across diplomatic missions in the region. Embassy-level authorized departures are a standard tool used when threat assessments change; they allow staff to leave at will while preserving the embassy’s functional capacity.
Israel remains a central operational partner for U.S. strategy in the Middle East, hosting a sizeable U.S. diplomatic presence in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Past episodes of heightened tension, including missile exchanges and cross-border strikes, have led to temporary shifts in embassy posture without full mission closures. The decision to encourage staff to leave now reflects both the specific intelligence environment in late February 2026 and lessons learned from previous crises about rapid escalation and logistical chokepoints at major airports like Ben-Gurion.
Main Event
According to an embassy email reviewed by reporters, Ambassador Huckabee wrote that meetings and phone calls through the night with the State Department drove the decision to authorize departure for personnel who wished to leave. The message, timestamped 10:24 a.m. local time on Feb. 27, urged staff to secure flights from Ben-Gurion Airport to any destination from which they could continue to Washington, D.C., or elsewhere.
The email stressed urgency, noting that action should be taken ‘TODAY’ for those seeking to depart and warning that demand for seats would be high. The embassy framed its guidance as precautionary rather than mandatory, telling staff that while more outbound flights might appear in subsequent days, they should not count on that possibility. Operational staff were directed to prioritize getting out of country expeditiously if they chose to leave.
Shortly after the advisory, KLM announced suspension of its service to Israel, citing commercial and operational considerations. That move immediately reduced available seats on certain routes and underscored the fragility of air access during sudden advisories. Embassy consular operations typically try to assist with travel options, but their ability to secure commercial seats is limited when airlines scale back routes.
Analysis & Implications
The embassy action signals a heightened U.S. posture in response to an elevated threat assessment tied to the prospect of strikes on Iran. Even when framed as voluntary, authorized departures change the operational calculus for a diplomatic mission: staffing levels fall, routine services are stretched, and the capacity to engage locally is reduced. For Israeli partners and the local public, visible changes at the embassy can amplify perceptions of imminent escalation.
Logistics and transport become choke points during rapid advisories. Ben-Gurion Airport is a critical node for movement in and out of Israel; a sudden spike in demand, compounded by airline suspensions, can strand personnel and complicate the movement of diplomatic assets. The KLM suspension illustrates how commercial decisions interact with security advisories to shape outcomes on the ground.
Regionally, the advisory could prompt allied missions to reassess their own posture, producing ripple effects in capitals across the Middle East. If a U.S. strike were to occur, the diplomatic and humanitarian implications would be substantial, affecting not only bilateral relations but also global energy markets and regional security alignments. Economically, airline routes, insurance costs, and cargo movements are likely to adjust quickly to perceived risks.
Comparison & Data
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Email time | 10:24 a.m. local, Feb. 27, 2026 |
| Advisory type | Authorized departure — voluntary |
| Airline action | KLM suspended service to Israel |
This compact table underscores the timing and immediate operational effects: a time-stamped embassy advisory, its voluntary nature, and a commercial carrier halting flights. Those three elements together create the practical environment staff had to navigate when deciding whether to depart.
Reactions & Quotes
‘Those wishing to leave should do so TODAY,’
U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee
The line above came from the email to embassy personnel urging rapid departure and highlighting the urgency of securing seats out of Ben-Gurion.
‘Commercial and operational considerations,’
KLM statement
KLM used this phrasing to explain its suspension of service, a move that immediately affected passenger capacity leaving Israel and increased competition for remaining seats.
Unconfirmed
- Whether the United States will carry out a strike on Iran in the immediate term remains unconfirmed and was not announced in the embassy advisory.
- The exact number of embassy staff who chose to depart following the Feb. 27 advisory has not been publicly released.
- It is not yet clear which other airlines, if any, will suspend or reduce service to Israel in response to the advisory.
Bottom Line
The Feb. 27, 2026 embassy advisory in Jerusalem is a precautionary step tied to a heightened U.S. assessment of risk amid planning related to Iran. While voluntary, the message to staff to leave immediately if they wished, combined with airline suspensions, created real logistical pressure at Ben-Gurion Airport and signaled elevated concern from U.S. leadership.
For observers, the situation merits close monitoring: the advisory is both an operational adjustment to protect personnel and an indicator of the wider risk environment. If tensions escalate further, expect additional travel disruptions, possible adjustments in allied diplomatic postures, and rapid diplomatic communication between Washington, Jerusalem, and other regional capitals.
Sources
- The New York Times — news reporting on the embassy email and developments (Feb. 27, 2026)