US embassy says non-essential staff can leave Israel amid possibility of strike on Iran
By Oren Liebermann, CNN
(CNN) — The US embassy in Israel has authorized non-essential personnel to leave the country amid the possibility of a strike on Iran.
The US embassy announced on its website on Friday that the State Department had authorized non-emergency staff and family members to leave “due to safety risks.”
The embassy went on to say, “Persons may wish to consider leaving Israel while commercial flights are available.”
CNN has reached out to the State Department for more details.
The announcement comes the day the USS Gerald Ford carrier strike group is expected to arrive in northern Israel as part of the buildup of US forces in the Middle East ahead of a potential strike on Iran.
The US also has a dozen stealth F-22 fighter jets at a base in southern Israel or en route, CNN previously reported, as well as at least nine aerial tankers on the tarmac at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport.
The-CNN-Wire
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