Americans leaving the Middle East: US State Department secures military and charter flights

The US State Department says it is securing military and charter aircraft to help Americans leaving the Middle East as commercial flights are disrupted by US-Israel operations against Iran. Officials said they have contacted nearly 3,000 Americans seeking guidance, with hundreds requesting help to depart Israel and some already assisted.

The US State Department said on Tuesday it was arranging military planes and charter flights. The aim was to move Americans out of the Middle East. Commercial flights were disrupted after US-Israel military operations against Iran began. Officials said many people remained stuck because much of the region’s airspace was closed.

Dylan Johnson, the assistant secretary of state for public affairs, said the department was "actively securing military aircraft and charter flights\". In a post on X, Johnson said officials had contacted nearly 3,000 Americans. Those people either wanted to leave the region or needed guidance on travel options.

US State Department evacuation flights for Americans leaving Israel

In Israel, a second official said nearly 500 Americans had contacted the department about leaving. The official said more than 130 Americans had already departed with assistance. Another 100 Americans were expected to leave Israel on Tuesday. Several other countries also arranged evacuation flights for their nationals.

The State Department ordered evacuations for non-emergency personnel and family members in several places. These included Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Qatar, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. The US also urged citizens to leave more than a dozen Middle Eastern countries, officials said.

US Embassy closures and drone attacks in the Middle East

US Embassies in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Lebanon said they were closed to the public. Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry said a two-drone attack on the US Embassy in Riyadh caused a limited fire. The embassy urged Americans to avoid the compound. The Riyadh incident followed an attack on the US Embassy in Kuwait.

US-Israel military operations against Iran and reported deaths

The US-Israeli strikes killed at least 787 people, according to the Iranian Red Crescent Society. Iran-backed Hezbollah also attacked Israel, officials said. Israel’s retaliatory strikes killed 52 people in Lebanon. The US military confirmed six deaths of American service members during the conflict.

Officials also reported deaths elsewhere in the region linked to the wider violence. Three people were killed in the United Arab Emirates, reports said. One person was killed in Kuwait. Another person was killed in Bahrain. The State Department said it kept working on departures as travel remained limited.

With inputs from PTI