Lawmakers accuse State Department of slow response after Iran conflict strands Americans

Lawmakers and veteran diplomats are sharply criticizing the State Department after a March 2 "DEPART NOW" advisory urging Americans to leave 15 countries and territories in the Middle East, a step critics say arrived days too late as commercial air travel and regional airspace were already in chaos. The advisory, reproduced in a letter from Representative Chris Pappas, named Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.

State Department officials told Fox News the agency has helped "over 130 American citizens" depart Israel in recent days, that an "additional 100 American citizens expected to depart today," and that "the Department is in direct contact and aiding nearly 500 American citizens [with arranging] travel out of Israel currently." The department also issued an alert, reported by ABC News, saying "The U.S. government is ready to help Americans return home safely from the Middle East if you choose to take advantage of the options available."

Lawmakers said those measures fell short. Pappas, who joined a bipartisan letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, urged the department to "use charter flights, military operations and all other resources possible" to help stranded Americans leave. The letter stated that "Since Operation Epic Fury began, indiscriminate attacks from the Iranian regime and regime-aligned forces have targeted American and allied civilians, military personnel, facilities, embassies, and hotels, causing casualties and significant damage," and called the timing of warnings and the quality of communication "unacceptable" and a violation of the department's mission.

Senator Chris Murphy posted on X that "So the State Department is forcing everyone to immediately leave the region but is also refusing to help people leave the region," adding bluntly, "Incompetence everywhere." Senator Andy Kim wrote that "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." ABC News quoted Kim saying, "Now Americans have limited options to evacuate at an extremely dangerous moment with no government assistance. This administration is failing its citizens."

Administration officials and allies point to logistical constraints and security risks. ABC News reported that several U.S. embassies said they were unable to help citizens trying to leave, and Bangor Daily News documented widespread travel disruption: major Gulf aviation hubs including Dubai remained closed for a fourth day, leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded and driving ticket prices sharply higher. Bangor also reported overnight drone strikes on the U.S. embassy compound in Saudi Arabia and noted a roughly 7 percent jump in crude oil benchmarks as the conflict widened.

Officials quoted by ABC said Secretary Rubio indicated military and chartered flights would be used to assist departures. President Donald J. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, "It all happened very quickly," when asked why there had been no preexisting evacuation plans. Many veteran diplomats, according to reporting compiled for this story, faulted the State Department both for its response after the attacks began and for a lack of planning beforehand.

Discrepancies remain in initial accounts. ABC described the advisory as covering 14 countries, while Pappas' letter lists 15; outlets variously characterized the advisory as issued three or four days after the start of the U.S.-Israeli air campaign. Sources also use different operational names for the strikes, with Pappas referencing "Operation Epic Fury" and others reporting Israeli actions as part of "Operation Roaring Lion."

Lawmakers have demanded clearer public accounting of how many Americans remain abroad, the full text of the advisory, and a timetable for any government-organized evacuation flights. The State Department has provided partial tallies for Israel but has not published a comprehensive regional evacuation manifest as of this reporting.