U.S. Citizens Abroad and Consular Warnings

U.S. officials say Iran and its proxy militias have issued targeted threats against American universities in Lebanon and elsewhere in the Middle East, prompting the State Department and the U.S. Embassy in Beirut to urge U.S. citizens to leave Lebanon now while commercial flights remain available. In a new security alert, the embassy describes the situation as "volatile and unpredictable," citing ongoing airstrikes, drone and rocket attacks across the country, particularly in the south, the Beqaa Valley, and parts of Beirut. The alert strongly encourages Americans in southern Lebanon, areas near the Syrian border, refugee settlements, and southern Beirut suburbs including Dahiyeh to depart immediately, and advises those who remain to have contingency plans and be ready to shelter in place if conditions deteriorate. Commercial departures are currently possible on Middle East Airlines flights from Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport, but the embassy has suspended all routine consular and visa services and is offering only limited emergency passport assistance. The warnings underscore how the expanding Iran–Israel conflict and activity by groups like Hezbollah are now directly threatening U.S.-affiliated educational institutions and American civilians in Lebanon, raising fears among families and university communities back in the United States about the safety and continuity of study‑abroad and branch‑campus programs.