As the consequences of the US and Israel’s war with Iran spread across the Middle East, major Western countries are scrambling to make arrangements to evacuate their citizens from the region.
Iran’s retaliation against US bases around the Middle East, Israel’s escalation of the war in Lebanon and the closure of airports and airfields throughout the region have created challenges for people who try to heed the advice of their governments to leave.
Here’s what other countries are doing to help their citizens in the Middle East:
United States
The country that created the war together seems to be suffering like the others.
The Trump administration faced criticism on Tuesday for its plans to keep Americans safe after the US told its citizens to leave more than a dozen countries in the Middle East but did not provide transportation.
The top American official in Israel has told Americans that the best way to leave the country is to take a bus to Egypt.
“The U.S. Embassy is not currently in a position to deport or directly assist Americans in leaving Israel,” Ambassador Mike Huckabee wrote on social media.
He said the options to leave Israel are “HIGHLY GIVEN” and added, “Praying [for] your safe way!”
At the White House on Tuesday, a reporter asked US President Donald Trump why there was no exit plan.
“Well, because it happened so quickly,” Trump replied, despite the fact that the US military buildup that led to the strikes on Iran happened within weeks.
‘Full protection’ aircraft
Administration officials have since tried to clean up the communications and show that the US has a plan to remove citizens.
“The State Department is busy protecting military aircraft and aircraft that hire American citizens who wish to travel to the Middle East,” Assistant Secretary of State Dylan Johnson said in an X-mail about an hour after Trump spoke.
In a press release, the State Department went into more detail, saying that it is helping American citizens with flights from the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
“For those in countries without commercial airline access, the department is facilitating travel to third countries as conditions permit. That includes expanding ground travel options for US citizens wishing to travel to Israel,” the news release said.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that about 1,500 Americans have asked for US government assistance in leaving the Middle East, but he said the closure of airports and airspace poses a challenge.
“If the airport is attacked or the airspace is closed, we can have planes lined up to take off, but we can’t have them land because we don’t have permits,” Rubio told reporters on Capitol Hill.
“But rest assured, we are confident that we will be able to help every American,” he said.
Canada
Global Affairs Canada says there are more than 97,000 Canadian citizens and permanent residents registered in the Middle East. The largest numbers are in the UAE (about 25,000) and Lebanon (about 23,000).
The government agency says there is little it can do now to help Canadians leave the region.
“Prepare emergency plans that do not rely on the Government of Canada’s assistance to travel,” Global Affairs currently says in its travel advisories for countries near the Middle East.
However, Ottawa says it has secured a few seats – which will be allocated on a “first-come, first-served” basis – on Wednesday’s commercial flight from Beirut to Istanbul.
The Canadian Embassy in Israel mentions a bus trip to Egypt as an option Canadian citizens to leave but said they were “unable to make recommendations” or opposed to that option.
“Given the situation in the region, taking shelter may be your safest option. If you wish to leave, make sure you can do so safely,” said the ambassador in X’s post.
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand says the safety of Canadians in the region is “the government’s top priority.”
At an event in Toronto on Tuesday, Anand said he had asked the Omani government to use the country’s airspace “if necessary” to help Canadian citizens evacuate the Middle East.
France
About 400,000 French citizens are currently in the Middle East, French President Emmanuel Macron said.
“We are planning the repatriation of those who wish to return, starting with the most vulnerable,” Macron said in a televised address to the nation on Tuesday. He said the first two flights will arrive in Paris on Tuesday night.
In the UK
More than 130,000 British citizens have registered with the government, UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper told the House of Commons on Tuesday.
Cooper said A chartered flight will take off from Oman in the coming days for “vulnerable” Britons to be given priority.
