US Embassy urges Americans to leave Iran immediately as protests escalate, flights are cancelled, internet blackouts spread and violence risks rise. Photos: X.
The United States Embassy in Iran has directed all American citizens to leave the country immediately, citing escalating protests that could turn violent amid reports of arrests and injuries across multiple regions.
In a security alert, the embassy warned that conditions inside Iran remain highly volatile and urged US nationals to take urgent precautions as demonstrations spread and government security measures intensify.
According to the advisory, protests across Iran are worsening, with authorities imposing sweeping restrictions that include road closures, public transport disruptions, and widespread internet shutdowns.
“Protests across Iran are escalating. Increased security measures, road closures, public transportation disruptions, and internet blockages are ongoing,” the embassy said.
The warning also highlighted severe travel disruptions, noting that airlines are continuing to limit or cancel flights to and from Iran, with several suspending services until Friday, January 16.
“U.S. citizens should expect continued internet outages, plan alternative means of communication, and, if safe to do so, consider departing Iran by land to Armenia or Türkiye,” the advisory added.
The US Embassy issued specific guidance for US-Iranian dual nationals, underscoring the heightened risks they face while inside the country.
“U.S.-Iranian dual nationals must exit Iran on Iranian passports. The Iranian government does not recognize dual nationality and will treat U.S.-Iranian dual nationals solely as Iranian citizens,” the embassy said.
It further warned that American nationals face a serious risk of questioning, arrest, and detention.
“US nationals are at significant risk of questioning, arrest, and detention in Iran. Showing a U.S. passport or demonstrating connections to the United States can be reason enough for Iranian authorities to detain someone,” the statement said.
Amid the mounting crisis, Tehran said on Monday that it was keeping its communication channels with Washington open as US President Donald Trump considered his response to Iran’s deadly crackdown on nationwide protests, according to a Reuters report.
Trump said on Sunday that the United States could meet Iranian officials and confirmed that he remained in contact with Iran’s opposition. At the same time, he escalated pressure on Tehran’s leadership, warning of possible military action in response to the killing of protesters.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said diplomacy continued to be the administration’s first choice, even as other options remained under consideration.
“While airstrikes were one of many alternatives open to Trump, diplomacy is always the first option for the president,” Leavitt told reporters on Monday.
She also pointed to a disconnect between Iran’s public rhetoric and private communications with Washington.
“What you’re hearing publicly from the Iranian regime is quite different from the messages the administration is receiving privately, and I think the president has an interest in exploring those messages,” she said.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Tehran was reviewing proposals from Washington but described them as inconsistent with US threats.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a sharp warning to the United States, urging it to halt what he described as “deceitful actions” and reliance on “traitorous hirelings.”
He added that Iran remained fully aware of external threats.
In a series of posts on X, Khamenei said, “The great Iranian nation has asserted its resolve and identity in the face of the enemies. This was a warning to US politicians that they should halt their deceitful actions and stop relying on their traitorous hirelings.”
“The Iranian nation is strong, powerful and aware; it knows the enemy and is always present on the scene,” he added.
Demonstrations across Iran continue, with the death toll now surpassing 646, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency.
The organisation, which has maintained accuracy over multiple years of protests, relies on a network of activists inside Iran to verify and confirm all reported fatalities.
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Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
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