US State Department helping almost 500 Americans seeking to evacuate from Israel
With commercial options limited, assistant secretary of state says US ‘actively securing military aircraft and charter flights for American citizens who wish to leave’ the region
WASHINGTON — A US State Department official told The Times of Israel on Tuesday that it was in direct contact with nearly 500 American citizens to help evacuate them out of Israel.
“Hundreds of American citizens have left Israel since the start of the conflict. Over the last few days, the State Department has assisted over 130 American citizens depart Israel, with an additional 100 American citizens expected to depart today,” the official said in a statement.
American citizens needing assistance should call +1-202-501-4444 and register in the State Department Smart Traveler Enrollment Program for updates, the department said.
On Monday, the US called on Americans to immediately leave Israel and over a dozen other countries in the region, urging them to use commercial means to do so, even though much of the airspace has been closed.
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee advised Americans seeking to leave to try to evacuate via Egypt, acknowledging the “limited options.”
In addition, US Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs Dylan Johnson said the US was “actively securing military aircraft and charter flights for American citizens who wish to leave the Middle East.”
“We’ve been in direct contact with nearly 3,000 Americans abroad,” he said.
Yes, the State Department is actively securing military aircraft and charter flights for American citizens who wish to leave the Middle East.
We've been in direct contact with nearly 3,000 Americans abroad. American citizens should call 1-202-501-4444 for assistance with… https://t.co/Fj9qcvljoC
— Dylan Johnson (@ASDylanJohnson) March 3, 2026
Johnson told The Times of Israel that the State Department launched a special task force upon the commencement of Operation Epic Fury, which has over 120 dedicated call takers who are fielding calls from American citizens abroad. On Tuesday, the task force “began proactively calling American citizens who are registered with the State’s Smart Travel Enrollment Program (STEP) system to confirm they are safe and offer travel assistance,” he said.
The evacuation efforts came as US lawmakers slammed the State Department for urging US citizens in the Middle East to leave three days after the US-Israeli war against Iran started and when air travel was severely disrupted, saying it was a sign of a lack of proper planning.
The air war, which began on Saturday, has already sent shockwaves around the world, disrupting energy supplies and sending global air transport into chaos. Major Gulf aviation hubs, including the world’s busiest international airport — Dubai, which normally handles over 1,000 flights a day — remained closed for a fourth day on Tuesday, leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded. Ticket prices have soared.
“Warnings to citizens to evacuate 3 days into this war, when airspace is closed, is a clear sign of ZERO strategy and planning by the Trump admin,” Democratic Senator Andy Kim said in a post on X.
“Now Americans have limited options to evacuate at an extremely dangerous moment with no government assistance. This administration is failing its citizens,” Kim added.
On Monday, a US official said the State Department activated an inter-agency task force to manage the situation and had launched a dedicated WhatsApp channel, which it said has amassed 15,000 followers. It did not mention any government assistance for the evacuation of citizens.
“So the State Department is forcing everyone to immediately leave the region but is also refusing to help people leave the region,” Democratic Senator Chris Murphy said in an X post. “Incompetence everywhere,” he added.
Congressman Ted Lieu from California urged the administration to schedule US government evacuation flights for the stranded Americans.
It is not immediately clear how many American and dual citizens are based in the region. The State Department urges its nationals to sign up for its database when they are abroad.
On Tuesday, the State Department also announced that it had ordered the departure of non-emergency US government personnel and their family members from US embassies in Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Jordan. Similar measures have already been taken for US missions in Lebanon and Israel.
The Times of Israel Community.