According to a confidential State Department message covered by Reuters, hundreds of U.S. citizens left Iran over the past week in anticipation of America’s planned strikes on three of Iran’s significant nuclear facilities set for Saturday.

Although a majority managed to depart without trouble, the report indicated that “numerous” U.S. citizens experienced “delays and harassment” during their exits. The document, dated Friday, also noted that two individuals attempting to leave Iran were reportedly arrested.

The reported challenges encountered by Americans highlight the broader difficulties Washington faces in supporting its citizens within Iran, a nation with which the U.S. has had no diplomatic relations since the 1979 Iranian Revolution. 

The State Department told Fox News Digital that U.S. citizens may face more difficulty exiting than those who hold U.S.-Iranian dual citizenship.

Smoke rises after an explosion in Tehran, Iran, on June 13, 2025. Conflict continues to rise between Israel and Iran.  (Getty)

The State Department does not have official figures, but thousands of U.S. citizens are thought to be residing in Iran, Reuters reported.

Meanwhile. U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said on Thursday that the administration was looking at different ways to get U.S. citizens out of that country.

“We’re working to get military, commercial, charter flights and cruise ships for evac,” Huckabee said in an X post.