US says first charter flight takes Americans from war

The United States on Wednesday operated its first charter evacuation flight from the war-affected Middle East, the United States Department of State said, as thousands of Americans continued to leave the region amid escalating conflict.

The department confirmed that the first charter flight departed the Middle East on Wednesday but did not disclose the departure location or destination due to operational security concerns.

“Additional flights will be surged across the region,” the State Department said in a statement, urging US citizens in Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia to register online for possible evacuation assistance.

The agency has faced criticism from travellers and lawmakers for not arranging quicker evacuation options, despite the United States launching the war alongside Israel with a joint strike on Iran on Saturday.

Since then, Iran has fired missiles and drones across the region, aiming to disrupt the normally stable Gulf Arab monarchies.

According to Assistant Secretary of State Dylan Johnson, more than 17,500 Americans have returned to the United States since the conflict began, including about 8,500 who returned on Tuesday.

Johnson said the State Department directly assisted nearly 6,500 people, though most US citizens left independently using commercial flights.

Washington has advised Americans to leave the Middle East immediately — from Egypt eastward — even as regional air travel remains heavily disrupted due to the conflict.