Loving to travel

Be prepared wherever you go

The Middle East is a destination I never chose to go to; despite the amount of travel I have done as a guide, cruise ship lecturer, personal traveler, sailboat captain, adventurer. It has been dangerous for many decades, maybe forever, because of religious conflicts – especially the tension between Israel and Palestine. But I understand the urge to travel. I have had a powerful gun pointed at me, had our bus stopped in Venezuela by rebels, but never have Americans been caught in so much uncertainty and with so much insecurity.

It requires more than Priceline or Travelocity and reservations. Today the State Department issued an urgent “Worldwide Caution” https://travel.state.gov/en/international-travel/travel-advisories/global-events/worldwide-caution.html And the danger is increasing because of “The administration is presenting disdain for standards in warfare as a feature, not a bug. The U.S. is acting with “no stupid rules of engagement,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Monday, casting that approach as superior to “politically correct wars.” (Huffpost) To hear the entire briefing go here - Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine Hold a Press Briefing > U.S. Department of War > Transcript | U.S. Department of War

Back to travel – among the many cuts to service from the Trump administration the number of personnel tasked with minimizing harm to civilians across the Defense Department has sharply decreased. This is true for the “enemy” and civilians in the war zone we occupy. The Civilian Protection Center of Excellence, a Pentagon office that provides advice on limiting casualties in combat and investigates the toll of military operations, has had its staff reduced from between 30 and 40 staffers at the beginning of the administration to only seven today.

Grounded flights, nights in airports, and no clear guidance. American travellers say they desperately want to get home but can’t. (BBC)

“The frantic efforts to evacuate hundreds of thousands of Westerners stranded by the fighting in the Middle East gathered pace on Wednesday, as more flights were scheduled to depart for Europe and the United States promised planes to bring Americans home.” (NYT)

On Monday, the U.S. State Department told Americans in more than a dozen Middle East countries, including Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, and the United Arab Emirates, to leave the region “using available commercial transportation.” But much commercial air travel from the region has been halted or delayed.

You may be hearing that US citizens are to “urgently leave” and “the state department has arranged flights”. None of that has come through on my official communiques from my embassy. They are recommending to leave, and there has been no offer of a “free flight,” contrary to what you may be hearing. If you call the help line, it flat out says, “do not expect the embassy to help you leave the country”. (Thomas Funke – from Dubai)

The State Department on Tuesday said it was “facilitating charter flights from the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Jordan for American citizens, and will continue to secure additional capacity as security conditions allow.” It did not disclose details of specific flights. (NYT)

“I feel just like a sitting duck,” one stranded American told CNN Tuesday morning.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday afternoon that they “are confident we’re going to be able to assist every American.” More than 1,500 US citizens had reached out to request assistance, he said.

And the number, when one calls it, still advised in a recorded message on Tuesday afternoon, “please do not rely on the US government for assisted departure or evacuation at this time.” It urged Americans to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program for updates and said, “in the event of ongoing military action, Americans should shelter in place until it is safe to move about freely.”

“We decided to attack Iran, not knowing what to do with our citizens in other countries, you know, meanwhile, the UAE Government has, you know, housed and fed me since I got here and I’ve received nothing from my own government,” he told CNN. Harrington said he had not received any updates from the State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program.(CNN)

The State Department ordered non-emergency personnel and their family members to depart from six countries – Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE – due to security concerns, but did not post a travel warning on its Smart Traveler Program.

“We’re honestly trapped,” she told CBS News on Tuesday. “It’s really frustrating that right now the U.S. is saying ‘Americans come home’ when in reality we can’t come home. We’ve had flights booked today, tomorrow, all of them are canceled. All of the airspace is closed through tomorrow night, now, if you’re in the UAE.” (CBS)

Gray News) - Thousands of cruise passengers are left stranded in Doha, Qatar’s capital city, amid the growing conflict between Iran, Israel and the U.S. According to CNN, at least two cruise ships have been stranded at Doha’s Mina port for days. One of them, the Mein Schiff 5, has completed its itinerary. The passengers on board were to disembark and catch flights back home. However, they remain on board, unable to leave Doha since airspace across the Gulf is closed.

The Associated Press reported that about 30,000 German tourists are stranded because of the conflict, stuck on cruise ships, in hotels or at closed airports.

“Russia reported about 50,000 Russian tourists remained in the UAE as of Saturday. About 4,500 were expected to return home Tuesday, while another 1,000 had already returned to Russia aboard flights from the UAE and Oman.

France also said it is working to return thousands of its citizens. An estimated 200,000 French people live in the area affected, while about 25,000 are visiting.” https://www.fox8live.com/2026/03/03/thousands-cruise-ship-passengers-are-stranded-travel-across-middle-east-grinds-halt/

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The strike

Four days into the conflict, U.S.-Israeli attacks have killed at least 742 Iranian civilians, including 176 children, and wounded 971 others, per Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), an Iranian rights group. The very first day of bombing saw a missile strike a school, killing at least 165, mostly young girls, and reports indicate strikes are escalating in residential areas of Tehran, home to 9 million people. (Huffpost)

Retired four-star General Joseph Votel, former Commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM) spoke to NPR’s Morning Edition about the possible cuts and the moral and strategic importance of protecting civilians. “I’ve seen the heartbreaking impact of where things have gone wrong. If you cause so many civilian casualties and you cause so much civilian harm here, it can actually undermine the mission that the military has been sent in to do,” said Votel. “In my view, I think the benefit to be gained by supporting these [CHMR] positions, I think it outweighs the movement of resources to other places.” (Center for Civilians in Conflict).

Yes, I love to travel, but if you are going abroad – choose wisely and be prepared – more caution is required anywhere to you go.