State Department Increases Charter Flights for Americans Stranded in Middle East

The U.S. State Department is expanding charter flight operations to evacuate American citizens trapped in the Middle East following widespread airspace closures. The evacuations come after criticism of the Trump administration's initial response to help citizens leave the region amid ongoing conflict.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. State Department announced Thursday it is expanding charter flight operations to evacuate American citizens stranded throughout the Middle East following regional airspace shutdowns caused by escalating conflict.

The evacuation efforts come after lawmakers criticized the Trump administration’s initial response to assist Americans seeking to leave the region since hostilities between the U.S.-Israel alliance and Iran erupted.

Military strikes launched Saturday, followed by Iran’s counterattacks against neighboring countries, have forced widespread closure of airspace across the region. The shutdowns have disrupted major flight corridors and left thousands of travelers unable to depart.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s department reported Wednesday that the first government-chartered evacuation flight had left the Middle East headed for the United States, though officials provided limited specifics about the operation.

Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs Dylan Johnson posted on X Thursday: “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 which nations will serve as departure points for the charter flights.

Johnson instructed American citizens currently in Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Israel to complete crisis intake forms to receive updates about upcoming flights and ground transport arrangements. He noted that a newly formed task force has provided assistance to over 10,000 Americans since the crisis started.

Initially, the State Department had only issued travel advisories for U.S. citizens in Israel and Lebanon as regional tensions escalated. However, Iran’s military response has struck American diplomatic facilities and civilian infrastructure across multiple countries, including Gulf Arab states that serve as major transportation centers.

Security warnings for Americans in Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Qatar and Bahrain were distributed after fighting commenced. On Monday, the U.S. instructed Americans across 14 Middle Eastern nations to leave immediately using “available commercial transportation” without providing government-backed alternatives, prompting sharp criticism from members of Congress.