State Department announces US embassy in Israel will be closed for rest of the week

The State Department on Tuesday announced that the United States' embassy in Jerusalem will be closed from Wednesday through at least Friday, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran. 

"Given the security situation and in compliance with Israel Home Front Command guidance, the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem will be closed tomorrow (Wednesday, June 18) through Friday (June 20)," the State Department said, per Reuters. "This includes the Consular Sections in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv." 

The warning comes after Israel attacked Iran's nuclear facilities last week, killing many of its military leaders and scientists in hopes of stopping the country from developing a nuclear weapon. 

The State Department has issued multiple travel advisories and alerts for Americans in the region since the conflict escalated, including changing travel advisories for both countries to a Level 4. 

The embassy also released an alert on Tuesday that confirmed the closure, according to ABC News, which said it has no new information about helping Americans flee the area, but that it will keep Americans updated "if there is additional information to share regarding departure options."

"The U.S. Embassy is aware that third parties are assisting U.S. citizens in departing Israel. While we are not able to endorse any providers, we understand some have been able to successfully help U.S. citizens,” the embassy added.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.