U.S. evacuates over 43,000 Americans from Middle East amid rising tensions

The United States Department of State has announced that more than 43,000 American citizens have safely returned to the United States from the Middle East since February 28, following coordinated evacuation operations amid rising tensions in the region.

In a statement released on Wednesday, Assistant Secretary for Global Public Affairs, Dylan Johnson, said the evacuations were carried out through a series of emergency arrangements involving charter flights and ground transportation organised by the U.S. government.

Johnson said the operation, conducted under the leadership of President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, included more than three dozen charter flights that assisted thousands of Americans seeking to leave the Middle East.

According to him, the U.S. State Department’s efforts were coordinated through its 24-hour task force, which provided travel guidance, security information and logistical support to American citizens across the region.

“Through the State Department’s 24/7 Task Force, we have directly assisted over 30,000 Americans abroad, offering security guidance and travel assistance,” Johnson said.

The department, however, noted that the demand for government-assisted evacuation has begun to decline as commercial flights across the Middle East gradually resume normal operations.

Johnson revealed that on March 11, the department contacted nearly 9,000 American citizens in the United Arab Emirates to offer seats on government-chartered evacuation flights. However, several of the flights departed with empty seats due to limited interest.

According to the statement, many Americans who initially requested assistance later declined government evacuation, choosing instead to remain in their host countries or arrange travel through commercial airlines.

Given the improved availability of commercial flights and the declining demand for evacuation support, the State Department said it would scale down its charter flight and ground transport operations in the region.

Johnson added that the department would discontinue its daily operational updates, noting that future information would only be provided when necessary.

The State Department also advised Americans still in the Middle East who require assistance to contact its 24-hour emergency support line for guidance and evacuation support if needed.