U.S. Embassy in Israel tells Americans they are on their own

With the aftereffects of the U.S.-Iranian strike on Iran that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei now in their fifth day, hundreds of thousands of travelers have been left stranded in several Middle Eastern countries.

Amid widespread airspace closures and ongoing retaliatory Iranian strikes on U.S. bases and infrastructure in neighboring countries, airlines including Air France, KLM, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, and Air India have all canceled service into cities including Dubai, Doha, and Tel Aviv.

Only local United Arab Emirates airlines Emirates and Etihad Airways have begun running very limited rescue flights out of Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

According to some estimates, between 500,000 and one million Americans are currently visiting or living in different Middle Eastern countries across the region, of which at least 50,000 are seeking immediate assistance to get back home.

“Not in a position to evacuate or directly assist Americans”: U.S. Embassy in Israel

While the U.S. State Department has issued an advisory urging American citizens to “depart now” from countries including UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, and Egypt, among others, the virtually complete lack of commercial air service leaves those who are stranded with very limited options for following this guidance.

Given these circumstances, the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem provided its own statement saying it “is not in a position at this time to evacuate or directly assist Americans in departing Israel.” It did, however, say that the Israeli Ministry of Tourism was operating a shuttle to its border crossing with Egypt, from which Americans may be more likely to catch a flight out.

Related: These airlines have started running flights out of Dubai

“The U.S. Embassy cannot make any recommendation (for or against) the Ministry of Tourism’s shuttle,” the embassy wrote further on March 2. “If you choose to avail yourself of this option to depart, the U.S. government cannot guarantee your safety. The information is provided as a courtesy to those wishing to leave Israel.”

The statement’s tone, as well as its reference to the right to repatriation as a “courtesy,” immediately caused anger among stranded travelers who felt abandoned, especially given the U.S. and Israeli administrations’ role in putting them in this situation.

Stranded Americans angry at State Department’s weak support; Rubio defends attack

“My office is receiving panicked calls from Americans stuck in the Middle East, outraged that our government has provided zero evacuation support,” New Jersey Senator Andy Kim wrote on X on the afternoon of March 2.

A few hours later on Capitol Hill, Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed reporter questions, per The Washington Post.

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He said approximately 1,500 Americans requested assistance getting back home and that the State Department has “identified and continue[s] to identify charter flights, military flight options, and expanded commercial flight options.”

Rubio also said an additional 9,000 Americans have already managed to make it home through secondary countries and that the State Department was working to get others out through charter and military flights.

“There is widespread frustration,” one American stranded in the UAE told CNN.

“Do we head to the airport? Do we stay sheltered in place? The directive of the U.S. government is completely unclear; they are saying to shelter in place but also to seek out commercial flights, and there was no advance warning that a war was about to break out.”

Related: Iranian strike hits major airport, injuries reported