As strikes between the U.S. and Iran disrupted Middle East airspace, the State Department says roughly 28,000 Americans have returned home and more than a dozen charter flights helped evacuate thousands. Travelers reported inconsistent consular support, with some embassies slow to respond while universities and private firms organized evacuations. Airlines raised fares and restricted seat transfers, and operators warn that airspace closures, visa rules and shifting safe destinations make evacuations complicated and ongoing.
Americans Describe Struggle to Leave Middle East as Evacuations Ramp Up After Strikes on Iran
Americans shares journey of being abroad amid Iran strikes
As tensions between the United States and Iran mounted following recent strikes, thousands of travelers found themselves stranded across the Middle East amid flight disruptions, rising fares and uneven government assistance. The U.S. State Department says about 28,000 Americans have returned home since the strikes began and that it has operated more than a dozen charter flights to evacuate citizens, but many still report confusion and hurdles in getting out.
Official Response and Warnings
The State Department issued urgent alerts urging Americans to depart immediately from at least 14 countries in the region and reported that more than a dozen charter flights had helped evacuate thousands. For an initial period, U.S. officials advised travelers not to rely on government-assisted departures or evacuations, a directive that left some people searching for alternatives while airspace closures disrupted regional hubs such as Dubai, Doha and Amman.
Personal Accounts: Delays, No Response, and Private Evacuations
Several Americans described limited or delayed consular response. Georgetown University student Ethan Hill said he contacted the embassy multiple times during a prolonged Doha layover after an overbooked connection, but received no assistance and was ultimately evacuated by his university.
“It was absolutely insane," Hill told NewsNation. "I was there for maybe three to five days and contacted the embassy and got no help. And eventually, I was evacuated by Georgetown and the University in Qatar. They’re the ones who got me out.”
Louise Herrle, traveling in Dubai when the strikes began, said airlines sharply raised fares and held certain seats for new, more expensive bookings — preventing simple transfers to earlier flights and forcing some travelers to pay extra to escape sooner.
“We actually had reservations and were told we would be leaving on the 11th,” Herrle said. “When we found a few economy seats for the 9th, Emirates would not move our existing booking into those seats. The only way to get out earlier was to pay more.”
Private Operators Step In
Private evacuation firms and universities filled gaps while demand remained high. Colin O’Brien, Deputy Vice President of Operations at Global Guardian, said the company has been working nonstop to move people out of the most affected countries — including Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain and the UAE — while navigating frequent airspace closures and visa constraints.
“It’s a constant battle of where to take people,” O’Brien said. “You’re playing a jigsaw puzzle of nationalities, visa restrictions and which neighboring countries are open and safe at any given moment.”
Logistical Challenges
Frequent airspace closures, intermittent reopenings and differing visa rules make evacuations complex. U.S. citizens generally have greater freedom of movement in the region, O’Brien noted, but nationals of other countries often face longer delays and additional hurdles — requiring evacuees to be moved multiple times to reach safety.
While thousands have returned, many travelers and operators warned that departures remain difficult for those still in the region, with dynamic conditions likely to continue shaping evacuation efforts in the days ahead.
Reporting by NewsNation. Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
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