- Today
- Holidays
- Birthdays
- Reminders
- Cities
- Atlanta
- Austin
- Baltimore
- Berwyn
- Beverly Hills
- Birmingham
- Boston
- Brooklyn
- Buffalo
- Charlotte
- Chicago
- Cincinnati
- Cleveland
- Columbus
- Dallas
- Denver
- Detroit
- Fort Worth
- Houston
- Indianapolis
- Knoxville
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles
- Louisville
- Madison
- Memphis
- Miami
- Milwaukee
- Minneapolis
- Nashville
- New Orleans
- New York
- Omaha
- Orlando
- Philadelphia
- Phoenix
- Pittsburgh
- Portland
- Raleigh
- Richmond
- Rutherford
- Sacramento
- Salt Lake City
- San Antonio
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- San Jose
- Seattle
- Tampa
- Tucson
- Washington
Lexington Today
By the People, for the People
U.S. Scrambles to Evacuate Stranded Americans Amid Iran Conflict
State Department announces charter flights to bring citizens home as airspace closures disrupt travel.
Published on Mar. 5, 2026
Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›
The U.S. State Department announced on Wednesday that charter flights are en route to evacuate American citizens stranded in the Middle East following the outbreak of conflict between the U.S., Israel, and Iran. Thousands of U.S. travelers have been left stuck in the region as airspace closures and canceled flights have disrupted travel, with some taking shelter in bomb shelters as the fighting continues.
Why it matters
The sudden escalation of tensions in the Middle East has left many Americans in a precarious situation, unable to safely return home as the region becomes engulfed in military conflict. The lack of a clear evacuation plan ahead of the U.S.-led strikes on Iran has drawn criticism, raising questions about the government's preparedness to protect citizens abroad during times of crisis.
The details
According to the State Department, the charter flights are "part of our ongoing efforts to assist Americans return home" and will be departing from the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Israel. Hundreds of thousands of Americans are reported to be trying to leave the region, faced with canceled flights and other travel disruptions. Some Americans, like a pastor from North Carolina and his family, have been forced to take shelter in bomb shelters as sirens sound and missiles are intercepted.
- The U.S. and Israel launched joint military strikes on Iran on Saturday, March 2, 2026.
- The State Department issued a travel advisory on Monday, March 4, 2026, urging Americans to immediately leave 14 countries in the region.
- The first charter flights to evacuate stranded Americans departed on Wednesday, March 6, 2026.
The players
Karoline Leavitt
White House Press Secretary who discussed the administration's efforts to assist Americans in the Middle East.
Marco Rubio
U.S. Secretary of State who acknowledged the challenges of evacuating Americans due to airspace closures.
Chris Elliott
A pastor from Lexington, North Carolina who was stranded in Jerusalem with his family.
What they’re saying
“We want Americans to be on American soil right now.”
— Chris Elliott, Pastor (ABC News)
“The scariest for me was trying to go to bed at night and then being woken up by the sounds of sirens.”
— Riley Elliott, Daughter of Chris Elliott (ABC News)
“There was many signs, put out by the State Department. The secretary of state issued level four travel advisories dating back to January for many of these countries in the region, advising extreme caution and do not travel alerts to Americans in the region.”
— Karoline Leavitt, White House Press Secretary (ABC News)
What’s next
The U.S. government is working to coordinate additional charter flights to evacuate the remaining Americans stranded in the Middle East as the conflict continues.
The takeaway
The sudden outbreak of war in the Middle East has left thousands of American travelers in a precarious situation, highlighting the need for the U.S. government to have robust evacuation plans in place to protect citizens abroad during times of crisis.
