A State Department official told reporters on Thursday that the Trump administration has coordinated nearly 50 charter flights to evacuate U.S. citizens from the Middle East since the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran began. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the program would reach roughly four dozen flights by the end of the day and that those charters had safely transported thousands of Americans.
The official provided several figures describing the scope of returns and assistance since the February 28 start of the conflict. "By the end of today, we’ll have completed approximately four dozen flights and safely evacuated thousands of Americans from the Middle East on those flights," the official said. The department has not disclosed a breakdown of how many people used the government-assisted flights and has waived the cost for those charters.
Despite the charter operation, the State Department said most U.S. citizens who left the region did so on commercial carriers. As of Thursday, the official said a total of 47,000 U.S. citizens had returned to the United States from the region since February 28, with the bulk of those travels occurring on commercial flights. The State Department also said it had "directly provided security guidance and travel assistance to about 32,000 impacted Americans" through its Task Force.
Officials said demand for government-arranged flights has decreased as commercial options have returned. "Most Americans who have requested assistance have declined seats when offered, opting to remain in country or take commercial flight options, which offer greater flexibility in terms of destination and luggage," the official said.
The State Department faced criticism in the immediate days after the conflict began on February 28 for what critics described as slow preparations to relocate diplomats and offer assistance to U.S. citizens. Iran’s strikes prompted airspace closures and canceled flights across the region, complicating travel and prompting the department to launch an evacuation effort that included charters and ground transport options.
On Wednesday, the department said it would reduce the scale of charter flights and ground transport services as commercial flight availability improved. U.S. facilities in the region have continued to be targeted amid rising tensions: a drone struck a major diplomatic facility in Iraq on Tuesday, and U.S. officials have warned that Iran-backed militias in the country may target Americans and U.S. interests.
The State Department has declined to provide more detailed counts of people who used the government-assisted flights, and officials said many who sought help ultimately chose alternative travel arrangements.