Americans stranded in the Middle East told to shelter-in-place, wait for chance to leave
Mar 3, 2026, 5:03 PM | Updated: 5:13 pm
The sun sets behind a plume of smoke rising after a U.S.–Israeli military strike in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (Vahid Salemi, AP Photo)
(Vahid Salemi, AP Photo)
SALT LAKE CITY — Thousands of Americans are stranded in the Middle East and trying to find a way out amid the U.S. and Israeli conflict with Iran. A travel agent in Utah said these travelers are being told to shelter in place until flights become available.
Brent Jenson, president of Morris Columbus Travel, said that in previous years the agency has facilitated trips to the Middle East for 800 people a year. He said Israel is a popular tourist destination for Utahns.
However, the agency is canceling upcoming trips and trying to help Americans stuck in the Middle East get out.
“We have a group … that was stuck in Amman, Jordan, for a couple of days,” he said. “Everybody’s fine, everyone’s great. They should be getting out tomorrow (Wednesday), but because of the air situation, they had to stay a couple of additional days, because … of course, they couldn’t get out of the country.”
Americans who didn’t use a travel agent have to shelter in place and contact airlines or the U.S. Department of State directly to figure out when they can get a flight out.
Smoke rises from Israeli airstrikes in Dahiyeh, a southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (Hussein Malla, AP Photo)
Jenson said that’s why having a travel agent and travel insurance is important, especially when going overseas. However, he also mentioned that tourism in the Middle East is going to take a huge hit due to the conflict.
That’s not just an inconvenience for American travelers.
“How are the people in the Middle East going to survive? Because tourism is one of the biggest things for them as well,” he said.
Jenson said the agency has several potential trips to Israel scheduled over the coming months, however it is taking a “wait-and-see approach” for those trips.
Related: Hegseth insists the Iran conflict is ‘not endless’ and declares, ‘We fight to win’
