The U.S. State Department on Tuesday scrambled to assist thousands of stranded Americans in the Middle East trying to evacuate the region after the U.S. and Israel jointly launched an operation targeting Iran over the weekend.
Now four days after the war began, the Trump administration is facing fierce criticism for not having a plan in place to evacuate Americans in harms way in advance of the joint operation.
The State Department on Monday urged Americans to depart from 14 countries in the region using commercial means, but there are currently significant disruptions in air travel.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump said: "It all happened very quickly," referring to the war with Iran, when asked why there were no plans to evacuate U.S. citizens.
Multiple U.S. embassies had said they are unable to help citizens trying to leave but the State Department on Tuesday sent out a new alert for Americans in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, 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."
Later on Tuesday, a fire broke out at the U.S. consulate in Dubai after an Iranian drone struck an adjacent parking lot, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
"Our embassies and our diplomatic facilities are under direct attack from a terroristic regime," Rubio told reporters at the Capitol.
He confirmed that all personnel were accounted for in the Dubai drone attack, noting the U.S. drawdown of staff across several diplomatic missions in the region has kept its personnel safe.
Rubio was pointedly asked if there was a plan in place to evacuate Americans before the attack took place.
"Well, that's the plan we are trying to carry out," Rubio said.
Iran live updates: US embassies 'under direct attack,' Rubio says
"The problem is, or the challenge we are facing, is airspace closures," he added. "If a country closes their airport, for example, in some cases the airports have been hit."
"So, that's the challenge, but rest assured, we are confident that we are going to be able to assist every American," he said.
Rubio said the department had implemented its plans over the last 72 hours to facilitate Americans' departure -- via charter flights, military flights, and commercial options.
"The impediment we're facing now in many cases, we've had a couple instances in which we have planes in the air and on the way, and unfortunately, the airspace gets closed and they have to turn back around," Rubio said.
The State Department is facing intense scrutiny from several U.S. lawmakers.
"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," Democratic Senator Andy Kim says in a post on X.
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"Now Americans have limited options to evacuate at an extremely dangerous moment with no government assistance. This administration is failing its citizens," Kim added.
"So the State Department is forcing everyone to immediately leave the region but is also refusing to help people leave the region," Democratic Senator Chris Murphy says in an X post. "Incompetence everywhere," he added.
The State Department said it is now "actively securing" military aircraft and charter flights for American citizens who wish to leave the Middle East, an agency spokesman posted on X.
The agency on Tuesday announced it is taking "historic action" to assist stranded American citizens.
State Department call centers have been in touch with almost 3,000 Americans to give personalized advice on options to depart the region, a State Department official said.
The official said the department had briefed 750 congressional staff on the agency's consular support for Americans in the Middle East to help their constituents access our information and support.
In the past several days, over 9,000 American citizens have safely returned from the Middle East, including over 300 from Israel, according to a State Department press release.
The Department said it is facilitating charter flights from the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan for American citizens, and will continue to secure additional capacity as security conditions allow.
Commercial aviation options remain available in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, and Egypt, and the Department is actively helping American citizens book those tickets, the agency said.
For those in countries lacking commercial aviation availability, the agency said it is facilitating travel to third countries as conditions allow. That includes increasing ground transportation options for American citizens wishing to leave Israel.
The State Department will also waive any statutory requirement for American citizens to reimburse the government for travel expenses, according to the press release.
The secretary said Americans should get in touch via two phone numbers it is sharing: +1-202-501-4444 (from abroad) and +1-888-407-4747 (from the US and Canada).
"Here's the message I want to deliver Americans who are in the Middle East and in need of assistance. It is very important. I ask this of the networks as well. It is important for you to please put both the website and the phone numbers on your screens, because we need people. We need to know where you are," Rubio said.
"It all starts by knowing that where you are and how we can get a hold of you," he said.
A State Department official disputed criticism on X that DOGE cuts potentially played a role in the travel disruptions.
"No overseas State Department positions or employees were affected by the reorganization or any "DOGE" activity," Dylan Johnson, assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs, said.
ABC News' Chris Boccia and Karen Travers contributed to this report.
The U.S. State Department on Tuesday scrambled to assist thousands of stranded Americans in the Middle East trying to eva...
