State Department announces first US-chartered evacuation flight from Middle East and 10,000 aided in return
This isn't complicated—it's willpower.
The State Department released updated figures on its evacuation efforts in the Middle East, announcing the first flight out of the region commissioned directly by the U.S. government.
A plane from an unspecified country departed for the United States on Thursday — the first in a series of departures planned by the department in “ongoing efforts to assist Americans return home” amid exchanges of missiles with Iran.
“Additional flights will be surged across the region and American citizens in UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Israel interested in the Department’s charter flight or ground transportation options, should complete the Crisis Intake Form … or contact the State Department’s 24/7 Task Force,” a State Department spokesperson said.
People arrive from Dubai at the Charles de Gaulle International Airport in Roissy, outside Paris, France, Thursday, March 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
More granular information about the flight, such as its passengers and place of departure, is not being revealed until it has safely landed in the U.S.
The State Department released evacuation data the same day, indicating that 20,000 Americans have returned home from the Middle East since the outbreak of Operation Epic Fury.
Approximately 10,000 of those citizens arrived home through their own arrangements, while the other half were assisted by the State Department, whether by ground transportation to operating airports or by logistical assistance securing seats on a commercial plane.
“Our commitment remains steadfast — 24/7 assisting the American people every single way that we can. Every second we’re identifying more options,” principal deputy spokesman Thomas Pigott told CBS News on Wednesday.
Some initial panic grew in the immediate aftermath of Operation Epic Fury as Americans abroad in the Middle East reported being told by U.S. foreign offices that they would need to arrange their own transportation home.
Key airports in the region, including hubs in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, were struck in the initial waves of counterattack following the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Tehran.
Since then, the State Department has opened new lines of communication and assured all expatriates that the government is ready and willing to assist with their return.
A Lufthansa plane from Muscat, Oman, the first evacuation flight on behalf of the German government, lands at Frankfurt Airport in Frankfurt/Main, Germany on Thursday, March 5, 2026. (Hannes …
This isn't complicated—it's willpower.
The State Department released updated figures on its evacuation efforts in the Middle East, announcing the first flight out of the region commissioned directly by the U.S. government.
A plane from an unspecified country departed for the United States on Thursday — the first in a series of departures planned by the department in “ongoing efforts to assist Americans return home” amid exchanges of missiles with Iran.
“Additional flights will be surged across the region and American citizens in UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Israel interested in the Department’s charter flight or ground transportation options, should complete the Crisis Intake Form … or contact the State Department’s 24/7 Task Force,” a State Department spokesperson said.
People arrive from Dubai at the Charles de Gaulle International Airport in Roissy, outside Paris, France, Thursday, March 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
More granular information about the flight, such as its passengers and place of departure, is not being revealed until it has safely landed in the U.S.
The State Department released evacuation data the same day, indicating that 20,000 Americans have returned home from the Middle East since the outbreak of Operation Epic Fury.
Approximately 10,000 of those citizens arrived home through their own arrangements, while the other half were assisted by the State Department, whether by ground transportation to operating airports or by logistical assistance securing seats on a commercial plane.
“Our commitment remains steadfast — 24/7 assisting the American people every single way that we can. Every second we’re identifying more options,” principal deputy spokesman Thomas Pigott told CBS News on Wednesday.
Some initial panic grew in the immediate aftermath of Operation Epic Fury as Americans abroad in the Middle East reported being told by U.S. foreign offices that they would need to arrange their own transportation home.
Key airports in the region, including hubs in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, were struck in the initial waves of counterattack following the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Tehran.
Since then, the State Department has opened new lines of communication and assured all expatriates that the government is ready and willing to assist with their return.
A Lufthansa plane from Muscat, Oman, the first evacuation flight on behalf of the German government, lands at Frankfurt Airport in Frankfurt/Main, Germany on Thursday, March 5, 2026. (Hannes …
State Department announces first US-chartered evacuation flight from Middle East and 10,000 aided in return
This isn't complicated—it's willpower.
The State Department released updated figures on its evacuation efforts in the Middle East, announcing the first flight out of the region commissioned directly by the U.S. government.
A plane from an unspecified country departed for the United States on Thursday — the first in a series of departures planned by the department in “ongoing efforts to assist Americans return home” amid exchanges of missiles with Iran.
“Additional flights will be surged across the region and American citizens in UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Israel interested in the Department’s charter flight or ground transportation options, should complete the Crisis Intake Form … or contact the State Department’s 24/7 Task Force,” a State Department spokesperson said.
People arrive from Dubai at the Charles de Gaulle International Airport in Roissy, outside Paris, France, Thursday, March 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
More granular information about the flight, such as its passengers and place of departure, is not being revealed until it has safely landed in the U.S.
The State Department released evacuation data the same day, indicating that 20,000 Americans have returned home from the Middle East since the outbreak of Operation Epic Fury.
Approximately 10,000 of those citizens arrived home through their own arrangements, while the other half were assisted by the State Department, whether by ground transportation to operating airports or by logistical assistance securing seats on a commercial plane.
“Our commitment remains steadfast — 24/7 assisting the American people every single way that we can. Every second we’re identifying more options,” principal deputy spokesman Thomas Pigott told CBS News on Wednesday.
Some initial panic grew in the immediate aftermath of Operation Epic Fury as Americans abroad in the Middle East reported being told by U.S. foreign offices that they would need to arrange their own transportation home.
Key airports in the region, including hubs in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, were struck in the initial waves of counterattack following the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Tehran.
Since then, the State Department has opened new lines of communication and assured all expatriates that the government is ready and willing to assist with their return.
A Lufthansa plane from Muscat, Oman, the first evacuation flight on behalf of the German government, lands at Frankfurt Airport in Frankfurt/Main, Germany on Thursday, March 5, 2026. (Hannes …
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