Americans urged to leave Iran as US withdraws personnel from Qatar base

Americans urged to leave Iran as US withdraws personnel from Qatar base

Kathryn Palmer, USA TODAY

Wed, January 14, 2026 at 5:58 PM UTC

5 min read

The Trump administration is urging U.S. citizens to leave Iran immediately as the president escalates his threats to use military action against the Middle Eastern nation amid a violent government crackdown on demonstrators.

The U.S. military is also withdrawing some personnel from the its largest Middle East air base in Qatar on Jan. 14, according to multiple media reports.

Graphic: See maps of protests in Iran as Trump threatens military action

Several human rights and conflict monitoring groups are estimating the death toll will be in the thousands as the country erupts into the most expansive anti-government protests in years. Iranians took to the streets in late December over an economic downturn accelerated by the collapse of the national currency.

The protests, now entering their third week, have ballooned into a nationwide upheaval as thousands of Iranians express grievances beyond the economic crisis, including pushback against social and cultural restrictions of the Islamic Republic's clerical rule.

On Jan. 13, the United States urged American citizens to leave the country. The virtual U.S. embassy in Tehran advised in a notice for people to depart Iran by land to Turkey or Armenia. The United States has not had an embassy in Iran since the 1979 revolution, when a group of Iranian students seized the building and held more than 50 Americans hostage for 444 days.

Anti-government protests in Iran appeared to accelerate on Jan. 9, sparked by anger over the collapse of the country's currency and a broader sense of hopelessness and disillusionment with Tehran's clerical leaders.
The uptick in unrest also comes as President Donald Trump warned Iran's authorities against killing peaceful protesters, saying Washington "will come to their rescue."See the scenes in Iran, beginning here on the streets amid anti-government unrest in Tehran, Iran, in this still image obtained from social media video released on January 8, 2026. Witnesses told Reuters protesters gathered in the streets on Thursday, January 8, however this video's date taken has not been verified.

Protesters gather as vehicles burn, amid evolving anti-government unrest, in Tehran, Iran, in this screen grab obtained from a social media video released on January 9, 2026.

People tear down an Iranian flag after it was taken down in Mashhad, Razavi Khorasan Province, Iran, in this still image obtained from a social media video released on January 8, 2026. Date when the video was filmed could not be confirmed.

An overturned car and multiple fires burn as protesters chant outside a police station, during Iran's biggest demonstrations in three years over economic hardship, in Azna, Lorestan Province, Iran, in this still image obtained from a social media video released on January 1, 2026.

Protesters gather amid evolving anti-government unrest in Tehran, Iran, in this screen grab obtained from a social media video released on January 9, 2026. Witnesses told Reuters protesters gathered in the streets on Thursday, January 8, however this video's date taken has not been verified.

People gather on the streets amid anti-government unrest in Tehran, Iran, in this still image obtained from social media video released on January 8, 2026. The date of the videos could not be verified. Witnesses in Tehran told Reuters that protesters gathered in the streets on Thursday, January 8.

People gather on the streets during a protest in Mashhad, Razavi Khorasan Province, Iran in this screengrab obtained from a social media video released on January 8, 2026. The date could not be verified but multiple videos verified to Mashhad were posted online on January 8.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi speaks during a press conference in Beirut, Lebanon, January 9, 2026.

Burning debris lies in the middle of a street during unrest in Hamedan, Iran on January 1, 2026. The demonstrations erupted after shopkeepers in Tehran's Grand Bazaar shut their businesses to protest the sharp fall of Iran's currency and worsening economic conditions, with clashes reported in several provinces and Iranian media and rights groups saying multiple people were killed in the violence, marking the largest protests to hit the Islamic Republic in three years.

A person uses a lighter to set fire to a banner during demonstrations in Hamedan, Iran, on January 1, 2026. The demonstrations erupted after shopkeepers in Tehran's Grand Bazaar shut their businesses to protest the sharp fall of Iran's currency and worsening economic conditions, with clashes reported in several provinces and Iranian media and rights groups saying multiple people were killed in the violence, marking the largest protests to hit the Islamic Republic in three years.

Burning debris lies next to an overturned dumpster in the middle of a street during unrest amid demonstrations in Hamedan, Iran, on January 1, 2026. The demonstrations erupted after shopkeepers in Tehran's Grand Bazaar shut their businesses to protest the sharp fall of Iran's currency and worsening economic conditions, with clashes reported in several provinces and Iranian media and rights groups saying multiple people were killed in the violence, marking the largest protests to hit the Islamic Republic in three years.

Rocks, tree branches, and a toppled charity box remain on a street during unrest amid demonstrations in Hamedan, Iran, on January 1, 2026. The demonstrations erupted after shopkeepers in Tehran's Grand Bazaar shut their businesses to protest the sharp fall of Iran's currency and worsening economic conditions, with clashes reported in several provinces and Iranian media and rights groups saying multiple people were killed in the violence, marking the largest protests to hit the Islamic Republic in three years.

A protester flashes victory signs as traffic slows during demonstrations in Hamedan, Iran, on January 1, 2026. The demonstrations erupted after shopkeepers in Tehran's Grand Bazaar shut their businesses to protest the sharp fall of Iran's currency and worsening economic conditions, with clashes reported in several provinces and Iranian media and rights groups saying multiple people were killed in the violence, marking the largest protests to hit the Islamic Republic in three years.

Security forces detain protesters outside a commercial building on Ahmadabad Street in Mashhad, Iran on January 3, 2026. Iran has experienced recurrent waves of protests in recent years driven by political repression, economic hardship, rising living costs, and restrictions on civil and social freedoms, including women's rights. Demonstrations have frequently been met with arrests, heavy security deployments, internet disruptions, and, according to activists and rights groups, the killing of protesters, as authorities move to suppress dissent.

People walk down the street, chanting in Farsi, "Reza Shah, rest in peace", in Tehran, Iran, in this still image obtained from a social media video released on December 30, 2025.

Demonstrators attempt to force a gate open to gain access to a building during a protest in Fasa, Iran, in this still image obtained from a social media video released on December 31, 2025.

See Iran's anti-government protests, huge crowds, unrest in photos

Anti-government protests in Iran appeared to accelerate on Jan. 9, sparked by anger over the collapse of the country's currency and a broader sense of hopelessness and disillusionment with Tehran's clerical leaders.

The uptick in unrest also comes as President Donald Trump warned Iran's authorities against killing peaceful protesters, saying Washington "will come to their rescue."See the scenes in Iran, beginning here on the streets amid anti-government unrest in Tehran, Iran, in this still image obtained from social media video released on January 8, 2026. Witnesses told Reuters protesters gathered in the streets on Thursday, January 8, however this video's date taken has not been verified.

At the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, officials told Reuters the withdrawal is a precautionary measure due to rising regional tensions and that any further developments would be announced through official channels.

Iran targeted the air base with a missile attack in June 2025, in response to U.S. strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities days earlier in connection with the 12-day Israel-Iran conflict. Over the weekend, Iran warned it could strike Israel or U.S. bases in the Middle East if the United States attacks.

Death toll numbers mount

The U.S.-based Human Rights Activist News Agency says it has verified the deaths of more than 2,400 protesters as of early Jan. 14, and over 18,000 arrests.

"A massacre is unfolding in the country since the internet and communications shutdown," Hadi Ghaemi, executive director of the Center for Human Rights in Iran, told USA TODAY on Jan 12. "It's a war unfolding on protesters."

A group of Iranian students attend a protest in front of the British embassy following anti-government protests in Tehran, Iran, January 14, 2026.

The Norway-based group Iran Human Rights put the death toll even higher, reporting more than 3,400 protesters had been killed, and thousands injured. They estimated more than 10,000 people have been arrested since the protests began.

In the human rights group's latest update, they recount reports of wounded individuals being “finished off" by authorities on the streets and in medical facilities, and that state forces in the city of Karaj used heavy machine guns against protesters.

More: Iran guns down hundreds in new wave of protests, rights groups say

Another human rights group, Center for Human Rights in Iran, published a doctor's first-hand testimony saying mass-casualty conditions were overwhelming hospitals, and authorities were tracking injured protesters inside medical facilities. The doctor said many of those injured suffered gunshot wounds to the head, chest and abdomen, and many arrived at the hospital deceased.

Death tolls could be underreported, experts warn, as the country remains in a near-total internet blackout that has made outside communication difficult.

US, Iran trade threats as tensions rise

Trump in recent days has ramped up his language, threatening to intervene and saying he would use military force in support of the protesters.

A day after the Trump administration said it was considering striking Iran, Trump on Jan. 13 encouraged Iranian protesters to continue the fight and promised that “help is on the way.”

“Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING - TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!! Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price," Trump posted on Truth Social. "I have cancelled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS. HELP IS ON ITS WAY. MIGA!!!"

U.S. President Donald Trump gestures at the Detroit Economic Club in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., January 13, 2026. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein

Trump also announced a tariff on goods from any nation that does business with Iran and warned Iran that the United States will take "very strong action" if Iran executes protesters.

Amid traded threats between the two countries in recent days, Iranian officials and the president have also signaled a willingness to take a diplomatic route. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Jan. 12 that the country was prepared for war but also open to dialogue.

Hengaw, an Iranian Kurdish rights group, has reported that a 26-year-old man, Erfan Soltani, arrested in connection with protests in Karaj, was to be executed on Jan. 14.

Burnt vehicles lie on the road following unrest sparked by dire economic conditions, in a place given as Tehran, Iran, January 10, 2026, in this screengrab from Iran's state media broadcast footage.

In a letter sent to U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres shortly after Trump's comments, the Iranian government accused the U.S. president of "flagrant" violations of international law principles. They requested Guterres condemn "all forms of incitement to violence, threats to use force, and interference in Iran's internal affairs" by the United States.

Iranian authorities have accused the United States and Israel of fomenting the unrest, carried out by people it calls armed terrorists.

Guterres has expressed concern over the violent crackdown and has called on Iranian authorities to use restraint and refrain from "unnecessary or disproportionate use of force." Foreign leaders have also stated condemnations and alarm over the crackdown. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot described it as "the most violent repression in Iran's contemporary history."

Contributing: Reuters.

Kathryn Palmer is a politics reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at kapalmer@usatoday.com and on X @KathrynPlmr. Sign up for her daily politics newsletter here.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: US citizens told to leave Iran amid country's crackdown on protests

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