President Donald Trump on Friday said Secretary of State Marco Rubio is doing a “great job” of helping US citizens leave the Middle East, following complaints about the limited availability of charter flights and a lack of communication with stranded Americans.
The Trump administration has faced criticism this week about what many saw as its lagging efforts to help Americans depart.
After commercial airlines cut flights due to the threat of missiles, the first US charter flight did not leave until Wednesday, five days after the start of the US and Israeli war against Iran.
“It is being done quietly, but seamlessly,” Mr Trump said in a Truth Social post in which he praised Mr Rubio.
Assistant secretary of state for global public affairs Dylan Johnson said in a statement that “several” flights had returned hundreds of Americans to the US, with additional flights scheduled to take place over the coming days.
Several users on X voiced scepticism. One account from a “Texan abroad” said “none of us can leave via air".
“Can’t drive to Oman or KSA due to 15+ hour queues at the border and the backlog of stranded people is immense. Shelter in place and hope this conflict ends soon is the only option,” the user wrote.
Mr Johnson said a task force has “directly assisted nearly 13,000 Americans abroad, offering security guidance and travel assistance".
The strikes that began on Saturday and Iran's retaliatory attacks on its neighbours have led to widespread airspace closures, clogging busy aviation routes throughout the region and leaving thousands stranded.
American citizens in Kuwait, Bahrain, the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Israel should fill out a crisis intake form to receive information about upcoming flights and ground transport options, Mr Johnson said.
