US citizens scramble to evacuate Middle East amid air chaos

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It’s Tuesday. Did anyone see the total lunar eclipse this morning? If so, send me your photos! Sadly, it was cloudy in Washington.

U.S. orders immediate evacuations in Middle East

U.S. orders immediate evacuations in Middle East

Multiple U.S. embassies shuttered after strikes

Multiple U.S. embassies shuttered after strikes

Americans stranded with airspace closed

Americans stranded with airspace closed

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Iran specialists part of latest FBI firings

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2026 primaries kick off with a whopper

Americans are stranded in the Middle East:

AP Photo/Hassan Ammar

The State Department has ordered immediate evacuations for U.S. citizens in the Middle East as President Trump’s war with Iran quickly escalates.

U.S. embassies in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia have also been shut down. Overnight, Iran targeted the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia as a counterattack to the U.S. and Israel’s military operation.

A third was closed today: The U.S. Embassy in Beirut was also closed Tuesday amid regional tensions, with officials saying they’d communicate when it plans to return to normal operations. 

More than 9,800 flights have been canceled as of Tuesday morning, with most the cancellations coming from Middle Eastern airlines. 

🗺️ Map of where Iran has retaliated

The locations listed in the State Department security alert: Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

Logistically, how do Americans get out?: The State Department has advised Americans abroad to leave the Middle East “using available commercial travel.” But it’s not that simple.

Even for Americans who desperately want to take the department’s advice to “DEPART NOW,” the situation is chaotic and fluid. Much of the airspace in the Middle East is closed, some airports have halted operations and several airlines are no longer running flights.

The U.K. is using a charter flight to evacuate British nationals who are stranded in the Middle East. However, the U.S. State Department has urged Americans who are stuck to reach out to the department for assistance in booking a commercial flight.

A sign of just how fluid things are: The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem on Tuesday warned that it “is not in a position at this time to evacuate or directly assist Americans in departing Israel” and urged citizens to make their own plans. This comes a day after the State Department urged citizens to leave Israel and other countries.

Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.), who once worked for the State Department, is especially critical of the Trump administration’s evacuation strategy. “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,” Kim argued. “Now Americans have limited options to evacuate at an extremely dangerous moment with no government assistance.”

And Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) publicly called on Secretary of State........

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