White House and State Department defend evacuation strategies for US citizens
What's the administration thinking here?
President Donald Trump’s administration is defending its evacuation operations in the wake of “Operation Epic Fury,” brushing off accusations that State Department preparations were not sufficient.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the State Department at a press conference on Wednesday, saying the department was “all hands on deck on advising extreme caution and do not travel alert to Americans in the region” ahead of the strikes on Iran.
“The State Department has been very clear to the American people … not to travel to these regions. We gave notices to leave immediately the countries where these Americans were within,” Leavitt said. “And unlike the previous administration, we actually have a number. We actually have identified the number of people in the region who have requested help. We are in direct contact and engagement with them.”
People arrive at the airport after being evacuated from the Middle East on a government flight, in Prague, Czech Republic, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
Addressing reports of stranded U.S. citizens who were unable to reach the State Department hotline, Leavitt emphasized that the contact line has been updated and its capacity expanded.
She added: “We will help every single American who wants to come home if they are making that request of the State Department.”
Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs Dylan Johnson reported on Wednesday that “over 17,500 American citizens have safely returned” from the Middle East since Feb 28 — further asserting that approximately 8,500 U.S. citizens returned “yesterday alone.”
“Many more Americans have left the Middle East to other countries in Europe and Asia, and others have safely departed the Middle East but are still in transit back to the United States,” Johnson continued. “Though the State Department’s 24/7 Task Force, we have assisted nearly 6,500 Americans abroad, including offering security guidance and travel assistance.”
It was announced on Tuesday that the U.S. military has deployed aircraft to areas across the Middle East in order to evacuate U.S. citizens trapped by commercial airline disruptions.
Iran successfully struck airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha in retaliation for the weekend operations by the United States and Israel. Those three airports are major hubs for international travel, and the continued launch of Iranian strikes has made airlines skittish about take-off.
The flight from Abu Dhabi …
What's the administration thinking here?
President Donald Trump’s administration is defending its evacuation operations in the wake of “Operation Epic Fury,” brushing off accusations that State Department preparations were not sufficient.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the State Department at a press conference on Wednesday, saying the department was “all hands on deck on advising extreme caution and do not travel alert to Americans in the region” ahead of the strikes on Iran.
“The State Department has been very clear to the American people … not to travel to these regions. We gave notices to leave immediately the countries where these Americans were within,” Leavitt said. “And unlike the previous administration, we actually have a number. We actually have identified the number of people in the region who have requested help. We are in direct contact and engagement with them.”
People arrive at the airport after being evacuated from the Middle East on a government flight, in Prague, Czech Republic, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
Addressing reports of stranded U.S. citizens who were unable to reach the State Department hotline, Leavitt emphasized that the contact line has been updated and its capacity expanded.
She added: “We will help every single American who wants to come home if they are making that request of the State Department.”
Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs Dylan Johnson reported on Wednesday that “over 17,500 American citizens have safely returned” from the Middle East since Feb 28 — further asserting that approximately 8,500 U.S. citizens returned “yesterday alone.”
“Many more Americans have left the Middle East to other countries in Europe and Asia, and others have safely departed the Middle East but are still in transit back to the United States,” Johnson continued. “Though the State Department’s 24/7 Task Force, we have assisted nearly 6,500 Americans abroad, including offering security guidance and travel assistance.”
It was announced on Tuesday that the U.S. military has deployed aircraft to areas across the Middle East in order to evacuate U.S. citizens trapped by commercial airline disruptions.
Iran successfully struck airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha in retaliation for the weekend operations by the United States and Israel. Those three airports are major hubs for international travel, and the continued launch of Iranian strikes has made airlines skittish about take-off.
The flight from Abu Dhabi …
White House and State Department defend evacuation strategies for US citizens
What's the administration thinking here?
President Donald Trump’s administration is defending its evacuation operations in the wake of “Operation Epic Fury,” brushing off accusations that State Department preparations were not sufficient.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the State Department at a press conference on Wednesday, saying the department was “all hands on deck on advising extreme caution and do not travel alert to Americans in the region” ahead of the strikes on Iran.
“The State Department has been very clear to the American people … not to travel to these regions. We gave notices to leave immediately the countries where these Americans were within,” Leavitt said. “And unlike the previous administration, we actually have a number. We actually have identified the number of people in the region who have requested help. We are in direct contact and engagement with them.”
People arrive at the airport after being evacuated from the Middle East on a government flight, in Prague, Czech Republic, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
Addressing reports of stranded U.S. citizens who were unable to reach the State Department hotline, Leavitt emphasized that the contact line has been updated and its capacity expanded.
She added: “We will help every single American who wants to come home if they are making that request of the State Department.”
Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs Dylan Johnson reported on Wednesday that “over 17,500 American citizens have safely returned” from the Middle East since Feb 28 — further asserting that approximately 8,500 U.S. citizens returned “yesterday alone.”
“Many more Americans have left the Middle East to other countries in Europe and Asia, and others have safely departed the Middle East but are still in transit back to the United States,” Johnson continued. “Though the State Department’s 24/7 Task Force, we have assisted nearly 6,500 Americans abroad, including offering security guidance and travel assistance.”
It was announced on Tuesday that the U.S. military has deployed aircraft to areas across the Middle East in order to evacuate U.S. citizens trapped by commercial airline disruptions.
Iran successfully struck airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha in retaliation for the weekend operations by the United States and Israel. Those three airports are major hubs for international travel, and the continued launch of Iranian strikes has made airlines skittish about take-off.
The flight from Abu Dhabi …
