Washington, March 3 : The United States urged Americans to leave major parts of the Middle East immediately, warning of â??serious safety risksâ?? as tensions escalate across the region.

â??To all American citizens in the Middle East: your safety and security is our number one priority,â?? Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a video message.

Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs Mora Namdar said the State Department â??urges Americans to DEPART NOW from the countries below using available commercial transportation, due to serious safety risks.â??

The advisory covers Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

Americans needing assistance were told to â??CALL US 24/7 at +1-202-501-4444 (from abroad) and +1-888-407-4747 (from the US and Canada). ENROLL in http://step.state.gov to get the latest security updates from the nearest US embassy or consulate.â??

A US official said a 24/7 interagency task force has been activated and is operating from a dedicated operations centre in Washington. It brings together experts in consular affairs, citizen safety, and diplomatic security. A crisis communications team is holding daily coordination calls with more than 110 interagency participants and affected embassies.

The department has issued over 30 STEP messages and 15 amplified security alerts, generating five million engagements. A dedicated WhatsApp channel has attracted more than 15,000 followers and reached 650,000 people. Officials are monitoring global and regional media trends and translating leadership statements into Persian.

The warning follows the onset of hostilities between the United States and Iran. The Gulf region hosts large expatriate communities and critical energy infrastructure, raising concerns about possible spillover.

The Smart Traveler Enrollment Program allows US embassies and consulates to send real-time security updates and contact citizens directly during emergencies.

/IANS