US sends planes to evacuate nationals from Middle East as Iran conflict spreads

US Deploys Aircraft to Remove Nationals from Middle East Amid Escalating Iran Tensions

The United States is deploying charter flights to repatriate American citizens from the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia as the conflict between the US and Israel against Iran intensifies. The State Department issued guidance on Monday, advising people in Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the occupied West Bank and Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen to “depart now” due to heightened security threats.

Since hostilities began on Saturday, several flights from the region have been cancelled or halted. Iran retaliated by launching missiles and drones at Middle Eastern allies of the US. The department is actively arranging military transport and charter services to assist those seeking to leave the area. Dylan Johnson, a State Department spokesperson, tweeted on X that the agency had reached out to nearly 3,000 Americans overseas, urging them to contact the emergency hotline for help.

Over 9,000 US citizens have already been evacuated from the Middle East. Officials are also supporting bookings for commercial flights in regions where travel remains feasible. Krista Jucknath Hickman, a federal employee from Florida, described her journey as “chaos” after receiving evacuation orders. She and her husband spent a night at Dubai airport before relocating to Oman, yet she still lacks clear instructions on how to continue.

“The directives are impractical and lack support. The number provided by the State Department couldn’t assist me. I called twice, and both times I was told there are no established evacuation plans,” she stated.

Many others have opted to stay in place or seek alternative routes. The estimated population of US nationals in the Middle East ranges between 500,000 and one million. Exact figures are unavailable because Americans aren’t required to register with US authorities when relocating abroad.

Meanwhile, France announced readiness to repatriate citizens at greatest risk, utilizing both commercial and military options. Around 400,000 French nationals are believed to be in the region. The UK’s Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, urged Britons to register their locations for better support. Over 102,000 individuals have already registered with the UK government, while Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper noted an estimated 300,000 British citizens are present in the Middle East, including tourists, transit passengers, and business travelers.

With the escalating situation, the UK has previously relied on registration systems to update citizens during crises. However, the scale and scope of this current scenario are unprecedented. The US embassy in Jerusalem confirmed it is unable to evacuate Americans from Israel at this time, though it noted that Israel has begun operating shuttles to the Taba Border Crossing with Egypt. The embassy cautioned that it cannot endorse the use of these shuttles.

For further details, additional reporting by Sakshi Venkatraman. If conditions permit, you may also connect via the provided link.