U.S. Government Urges Citizens to "Leave Iran"

The U.S. government has advised its citizens residing in Iran to immediately evacuate to a safe neighboring country.

On January 13 (local time), the Virtual U.S. Embassy in Iran posted a notice on its website stating, "Protests across Iran are intensifying and could escalate into violence," and added, "U.S. citizens should consider leaving Iran by land for Armenia or T?rkiye if their safety can be ensured."

The embassy further advised that if it is not possible to leave Iran, individuals should first seek a safe location and prepare sufficient supplies of food, water, and medicine.

The United States closed its embassy in Tehran last year and currently operates only a virtual embassy online for Iran.

This evacuation advisory from the U.S. embassy comes as President Donald Trump warned that the U.S. could carry out military strikes if the Iranian regime kills protesters.

Previously, The Wall Street Journal reported that while the White House is reviewing whether to respond to Iran's proposal to resume nuclear negotiations, President Trump is leaning toward authorizing military action against Iran.

Meanwhile, AFP, citing multiple sources, reported that with internet and other communications cut off in Iran, the French embassy in Tehran evacuated non-essential personnel first on January 12.