The U.S. State Department said on Thursday it is scaling up government-chartered flights and ground transport operations from the Middle East after facing criticism for its early planning and the initial level of assistance offered to U.S. citizens trying to leave the region since the start of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
Strikes that began on Saturday and Iran's subsequent attacks on neighboring countries have prompted extensive airspace closures. Those closures have choked key aviation corridors across the region and resulted in thousands of people being left without reliable travel options.
Department leadership, under Secretary of State Marco Rubio, disclosed on Wednesday that the first U.S. government charter left the region bound for the United States, but provided scant details about that flight. Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs Dylan Johnson wrote on X on Thursday that - "At the direction of @SecRubio, Department of State charter flight and ground transportation operations are underway and will continue to ramp up with additional flights and ground transports taking place today."
Officials have not specified from which countries the charter flights are departing. Johnson directed U.S. citizens located in Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Israel to complete a crisis intake form to receive information about upcoming flights and ground transport options. He also said a newly formed task force has provided guidance to more than 10,000 Americans since the crisis began.
In the run-up to the current wave of operations, the State Department had primarily issued travel warnings for U.S. citizens in Israel and Lebanon as tensions escalated. Iran's response, however, has targeted U.S. missions and civilian infrastructure in a wider set of locations, including Gulf Arab states that serve as major transport hubs.
Following the escalation, Washington issued security alerts for Americans in Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Qatar and Bahrain. On Monday, the U.S. government urged Americans across 14 Middle Eastern countries to promptly leave the region using "available commercial transportation," while not offering a broadly vouchsafed U.S. government evacuation option at that time - a stance that drew criticism from some U.S. lawmakers.
The State Department's expanded charter operations are intended to supplement commercial options that have been disrupted by the airspace restrictions, but officials have left several operational details unresolved, including exact departure points and the cadence of additional flights and ground movements.
Context and operational status
- The department says charter and ground transportation operations are underway and will continue to increase.
- First U.S. government charter reportedly departed the region on Wednesday; few specifics were released.
- A task force has provided guidance to over 10,000 Americans since the crisis began.
Where Americans have been advised to register
- U.S. citizens in Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Israel have been asked to fill out a crisis intake form for updates on flights and ground transport.
Ongoing uncertainties
- Details remain unclear about the origin points for charter flights and the schedule for additional movements.
- Commercial airspace closures continue to disrupt travel, complicating both private and government-assisted departures.