The US is sending charter flights to evacuate Americans from the United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Saudi Arabia as the US-Israeli war against Iran widens.
The US State Department said Monday that Americans should “depart now” from Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the occupied West Bank and Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates and Yemen due to “serious safety risks”.
But many flights from the region have been cancelled or suspended since the US and Israel began striking Iran on Saturday.
Iran responded by firing missiles and drones at Middle Eastern nations allied to the US.
The State Department said it is actively working to secure military aircraft and charter flights for Americans seeking to leave the Middle East.
“We’ve been in direct contact with nearly 3,000 Americans abroad,” Dylan Johnson of the State Department said on X, urging citizens to call the department’s line for assistance.
In another statement, the department said 9,000 US citizens have already successfully returned home from the region. The department said it is helping people book flights from countries where commercial air travel is still an option.
Florida resident Krista Jucknath Hickman, a US federal employee, said her anniversary trip through the region turned into “chaos” after the state department told Americans to leave. She and her husband had to spend the night at the Dubai airport.
She told the BBC that she is now driving from the UAE to Oman and has not yet received clear guidance on how to proceed.
“The orders are not realistic, not supportive,” she said. “The number provided by the State Department for support is unable to help. I called twice. Both times I was told there are no evacuation procedures in place.”
Other travellers have told the BBC that they have had to either shelter in place or look for alternative means out of the region.
Between 500,000 and one million US nationals are estimated to be living in the Middle East.
Exact official numbers are not available as Americans are not required to register with US authorities when they move abroad.
American citizens were urged to check “the latest security updates” with nearby embassies and consulates, and given hotlines for if they need help leaving the region.
The US embassy in Jerusalem said on Monday that it “is not in a position at this time to evacuate or directly assist Americans in departing Israel”, adding that it would be closed on Tuesday.
It later said Israel had “begun operating shuttles to the Taba Border Crossing [with Egypt]” but warned that the embassy “cannot make any recommendation (for or against)” using it.
On Tuesday, France said it was ready to fly back those of its citizens who were most at risk in the Middle East.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot told the country’s BFM TV broadcaster this could be done using both commercial and military flights.
About 400,000 French nationals are thought to be in the Middle East.
On Monday, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer urged all British citizens in the region to register their presence so the government could provide “the best possible support”.
Around 102,000 Britons have so far registered their presence in the Middle East with the UK government.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper told the BBC there were an estimated 300,000 British citizens in the region.
She said many of those trapped were holidaymakers, passengers transiting through the Gulf or people on business visits.
The UK government has previously used registration schemes to provide urgent updates to people affected by international crises – but the number of people and countries affected in this case is unprecedented.-BBC
