Syria live updates: US embassy says situation 'volatile,' urges citizens to leave

The U.S. Embassy in Damascus -- which suspended operations in 2012 -- said in a Monday post to X that the "security situation in Syria continues to be volatile and unpredictable with armed conflict and terrorism throughout the country."

U.S. citizens, it said, "should depart Syria if possible. U.S. citizens who are unable to depart should prepare contingency plans for emergency situations and be prepared to shelter in place for extended periods."

U.S. officials have said they are in touch with the most prominent rebel groups now building a transition government after toppling former president Bashar Assad's regime, but the eventual shape of U.S.-Syrian relations remains unclear.

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham -- the most prominent of the rebel groupings -- has roots in al-Qaeda and is still listed as a terrorist organization in the U.S. and European Union. Its leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, better known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, is still the subject of a $10 million U.S. bounty.

The U.S. government "is unable to provide any routine or emergency consular services to U.S. citizens in Syria," the embassy said. "U.S. citizens in Syria who are in need of emergency assistance to depart should contact the U.S. Embassy in the country they plan to enter."

The embassy urged citizens in Syria to be "prepared to shelter in place should the situation deteriorate" and to ensure access to all required travel documents.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday night released a video in Hebrew addressing Israel's actions in Syria. He says he discussed this with President-Elect Trump "last night." He called it a "very friendly, very warm and very important conversation," and said they spoke about "the need to complete Israel's victory," as well as freeing the hostages in Gaza.

On Syria, Netanyahu said he has instructed the Israel Defense Forces "to thwart potential threats from Syria, and to prevent terrorist elements from taking over near our border." He also said the IDF's airstrikes in Syria have destroyed "capabilities that the Assad regime had built over decades," as well as the "arms supply routes from Syria to Hezbollah."

Netanyahu said Israel has "no interest in confronting Syria" but also said Israel will continue to act to stop Hezbollah from rearming "as much as necessary, in every arena and at any time."

-ABC News' Bruno Nota

The USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier strike group has arrived in the Middle East, according to U.S. Central Command.

The move from the Mediterranean was planned before the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, a U.S. official told ABC News.

The Truman replaces the USS Abraham Lincoln, which left the region last month.

-ABC News' Matt Seyler