State Department: Americans who want to leave Iran cannot count on direct assistance from the U.S. government

(Patria) - The U.S. State Department warned Americans who cannot leave Iran "should be prepared to shelter in place for an extended period," stating that they "do not expect direct assistance from the U.S. government in departing" the country.

In updated guidelines on Sunday, after the U.S. bombed three Iranian nuclear facilities, the department said that "U.S. citizens seeking departure should use existing means to leave Iran."

The U.S. has no diplomatic presence in Iran. Switzerland, which assists U.S. citizens in Iran, has closed its protection office until further notice.

"The Department has opened a crisis intake form for U.S. citizens in Iran to provide information on consular assistance. However, due to the limitations of consular support in Iran, we do not expect to offer direct U.S. government assistance in departing Iran," the Sunday guidelines state.

It also advises that U.S.-Iranian dual nationals "must leave Iran with Iranian passports and should be prepared for checkpoints and questioning by Iranian authorities before leaving Iran."

"The Iranian government does not recognize dual nationality and will treat U.S.-Iranian dual nationals solely as Iranian citizens," the guidelines state.

CNN reported on Friday that hundreds of Americans have fled Iran due to the escalation of the conflict with Israel, according to an internal State Department report.