March 4 (UPI) — The State Department is scrambling to evacuate embassy staff and American tourists out of several locations around the Middle East as attacks on embassies continue.
At least three U.S. embassies in the region — Kuwait, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia — have closed and about 1,600 Americans are trying to get out of the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Jordan. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that they were trying to find commercial flights and the department is considering military flight options.
There was also an urgent warning issued for Americans in 11 other countries posted on X by Assistant Secretary Mora Namdar.
The scramble comes after the United States and Israel attacked Iran in “Operation Epic Fury” on Feb. 28. At least six American soldiers have been killed.
An official speaking anonymously to The Washington Post said that some military family members stationed in Bahrain have been flown to safety. They said the military might be asked to help more stranded Americans, but there are no immediate evacuation flights.
Kuwait, Qatar, Israel, the UAE and other locations have seen attacks from Iranian missiles and drones.
“Our embassies and our diplomatic facilities are under direct attack,” Rubio told reporters.
He also said the U.S. Consulate in Dubai had a fire in an adjacent parking lot, but all personnel there were accounted for.
Floridians Krista Juknath Hickman and her husband Mike struggled to get out of Dubai while on vacation, they told the BBC.
“The number provided by the State Department for support is unable to help,” she said. “I called twice. All that can be done is book flights that don’t take off.”
They eventually found a driver who took them across the border to Oman for $1,000.
State Department spokesperson Dylan Johnson said the government was in contact with 3,000 people trying to get out of the region, and about 9,000 Americans have made it home in the past few days.
The statement said the State Department is facilitating charter flights from the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Jordan for American citizens.
Former Army Maj. Gen. Randy Manner told the BBC he was trying to make it out of the airport in Dubai, which he said was “mayhem.”
“We started to load the aircraft, then we were all taken back to the terminal,” he said. “They also said that if we fly out at all, we would be the last plane out tonight.”
During an Oval Office meeting, President Donald Trump mentioned stranded Americans briefly, The Post reported. When asked why there wasn’t an evacuation plan, he said, “Well, because it happened all very quickly.”
“I thought we were going to have a situation where we were going to be attacked,” he said without sharing evidence.
Harsheet Kummaraguntla of Texas told the BBC that his mother was on a flight from Doha, Qatar, to Dallas when the attack on Iran began. The flight returned to Doha.
“She does not live there. Doha was just a layover. She is unfortunately trapped currently due to the airspace closure in Doha,” Kummaraguntla said.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee wrote on X Tuesday that for Americans living in or visiting Israel, “there are VERY LIMITED options,” as Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv is closed.
“As of now, the best is utilizing Israel’s Ministry of Tourism shuttle bus to Taba, Egypt, and getting flights from there or going on to Cairo for flights back to the U.S. … I do not recommend exit via Jordan at this time. Flights are not consistent, and access across the Allenby crossing has limited hours,” Huckabee said.
Between 500,000 and 1 million Americans are estimated to be living in the Middle East.
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