The US State Department issued a travel advisory on 12/1, urging its citizens to depart Iran immediately due to escalating protests, heightened security measures, road closures, and internet disruptions across the country. The advisory emphasized that citizens should prepare travel plans without relying on government assistance.
The State Department further advised that if safe, individuals should consider leaving Iran by land to Armenia or Turkey. Dual US-Iranian citizens are specifically instructed to use an Iranian passport for departure. The US Virtual Embassy reinforced these warnings, highlighting the significant risk of citizens being interrogated, arrested, and detained in Iran. It stated that merely presenting a US passport or demonstrating any connection to the US could lead to detention by Iranian authorities.
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Protesters set fires on the streets of Tehran, Iran, on 9/1. *Photo: AFP* |
The US State Department maintains a Level 4 travel advisory, its highest level, which cautions citizens against traveling to Iran. This advisory cites the "risk of arrest, interrogation, or denial of consular assistance" as primary reasons.
Tensions between Washington and Tehran have recently escalated, linked to a wave of anti-government protests across several Iranian cities. These protests began on 28/12/2025, sparked by small business owners dissatisfied with the economic situation and the depreciating rial. Iranian officials have accused "terrorist agents" from Israel and the US of inciting the violent demonstrations. However, the US State Department denied these allegations, stating that Tehran was "distracting public attention from domestic issues."
On 9/1, US President Donald Trump warned that the US would intervene if Iran used force against protesters, though he explicitly ruled out deploying troops to the country. Two days later, the US leader announced that Iranian leaders had contacted him for negotiations. Despite this, tensions did not cool, as Trump announced on 12/1 a 25% tariff on all countries trading with Iran.
