OAN Staff Katherine Mosack
8:40 AM – Thursday, March 5, 2026
The United States Department of State has confirmed that a charter flight carrying American citizens departed the Middle East for the U.S. to assist American citizens in returning home to flee the escalating conflict in the region.
“Today, a Department of State charter flight of American citizens departed the Middle East in route to the United States, as part of our ongoing efforts to assist Americans return home,” the department announced in an X post on Wednesday.
It added that there will be more flights “surged across the region” and invited Americans in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia and Qatar to complete a crisis intake form or contact the department’s 24/7 Task Force.
Asked during a press conference on Wednesday if more could have been done to get U.S. citizens out of warzones prior to striking Iran. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the U.S. has been warning Americans against traveling to several countries in the region since January.
“There [were] many signs put out by the State Department and I wish that everyone in this room would report on them,” Leavitt said.
For example, on February 27th, Secretary of State Marco Rubio “stated no American should travel to Iran for any reason.”
She clarified that Americans in the region should register online so that the U.S. government can identify them.
“We are actively and rapidly working to charter flights,” the press secretary stated. “There [are] some commercial flights that are taking off intermittently from these countries and we plan to get Americans on board as quickly as possible … free of charge to them.”
They added that she expects “additional measures” to be announced in the coming days.
“From the president’s perspective, this is something he’s brought up directly with our allies and partners in the region that we expect their help in getting Americans home,” said the secretary. “And we will do that and we will not rest until every single American is returned home safely.”
State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott reiterated this message in a social media post on Wednesday.
“The @StateDept task force has helped 7,300 Americans with travel guidance and departure options. Charter flights are underway,” he stated. “The bottom line is this: We won’t rest until every American who wants to leave the region is home. We’re working around the clock to make it happen.”
In a news release on Tuesday, the State Department announced that “over 9,000 American citizens have safely returned from the Middle East, including over 300 from Israel,” in recent days.
“The Department has answered calls from nearly 3,000 American citizens in the Middle East and continues to provide travel options for those wishing to leave,” the statement read. “The Department will also waive any statutory requirement for American citizens to reimburse the government for travel expenses.”
Travel disruptions have left hundreds of thousands of Americans stranded in the Middle East as the U.S.’s joint military campaign with Israel against Iran reaches its sixth day on Thursday.
Several countries in the region have been affected after Iran retaliated by launching missile and drone attacks on Bahrain, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, targeting U.S. military facilities, embassies, ports and consulates.
On Thursday, the department advised Americans in Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar to complete a form to request more travel assistance information. It also provided phone numbers to contact for help.
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