State Department hotline told stranded Americans not to expect help

Rubio asked Americans to call for help

Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted a video Tuesday, March 4, urging Americans stranded in the Middle East to call the State Department’s emergency hotline at 1-202-501-4444.

He asked news networks to broadcast the number so people could register their locations and get help leaving the region. Rubio said the department needed to know where Americans were to coordinate their departure.

But when people actually called, they heard something very different.

U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran sparked the crisis

The U.S. and Israel launched joint military strikes against Iran starting Saturday, Feb. 28.

Iran fired back with missiles and drones across the region, hitting targets in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan.

Airports in at least seven countries shut down, and much of the Middle East’s airspace closed or faced heavy restrictions. Tens of thousands of travelers found themselves stuck.

The State Department urged Americans to leave 14 countries and two Palestinian territories right away.

Callers heard the opposite message

When stranded Americans dialed the number Rubio promoted, an automated recording told them not to count on the U.S. government for evacuation help.

The message said there were no U.S. evacuation points at that time. It told callers to check embassy websites for updates and shelter in place during military action.

That directly contradicted what Rubio had just asked them to do, and the disconnect quickly drew attention.

News outlets confirmed the recording

Multiple news organizations verified the message independently.

One outlet called the number Tuesday afternoon and heard the recording firsthand, then called again after the department said it was helping book travel. The message had not changed.

Other outlets reported the same automated response Tuesday afternoon.

ABC News correspondent Jonathan Karl posted a video on social media Tuesday night playing the recording for the public to hear.

Stranded Americans described the same experience

Two American citizens stuck in the UAE told reporters they called the hotline and got no help with travel plans. Many others shared similar stories in replies to Rubio’s video on social media.

Some callers said they got only automated responses with no clear evacuation plan.

A State Department official said more than 120 people staffed the call center, but citizens on the ground said the guidance they received was very limited.

The U.S. Embassy in Israel offered little

Ambassador Mike Huckabee said the embassy in Jerusalem could not evacuate or directly assist Americans leaving Israel.

The embassy pointed people to shuttle buses run by Israel’s Tourism Ministry heading to the Egyptian border, but said it could not recommend for or against that option. It also could not guarantee anyone’s safety.

Israel’s airspace had been closed since Saturday, though some land crossings stayed open.

Lawmakers from both parties raised alarms

Democratic Sen. Andy Kim called the delayed departure advisories one of the biggest failures of duty he had ever seen. He estimated up to one million Americans could be in danger across the region.

Sen. Chris Murphy said the State Department told people to leave while refusing to help them do so. Rep. Ted Lieu called the lack of an advance evacuation plan a dereliction of duty.

Lawmakers from both parties expressed concern about Americans being unable to leave.

The administration scrambled to respond

The State Department announced Tuesday it was setting up charter flights from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan.

Rubio said the department was also using military aircraft, expanded commercial options, and land routes to move people out. About 9,000 Americans had already left the region on their own.

The department said it had been in contact with about 3,000 Americans seeking help, and roughly 1,500 to 1,600 more had asked for direct evacuation.

The department said it would waive the usual rule requiring citizens to pay back travel costs.

Trump and Rubio explained the gaps

When asked why no evacuation plan existed before the strikes, President Trump said everything happened very quickly. He said he believed the U.S. needed to strike before Iran attacked first.

Rubio pointed to airspace closures that the U.S. does not control as the main challenge. He said planes heading to pick up Americans sometimes had to turn back when the airspace suddenly closed.

Rubio expressed confidence that every American who needs help will get it.

The hotline message quietly changed on Wednesday

By Wednesday morning, the State Department had updated the recording.

The new message told callers the U.S. is committed to helping citizens who want to leave the region. People requesting travel help were told to stay on the line.

A second message warned of high call volume and longer-than-average wait times.

The update came after a full day of criticism over the gap between what Rubio promised and what callers actually heard.

What stranded Americans should do now

Americans in the Middle East should call 1-202-501-4444 from overseas or 1-888-407-4747 from the U.S. and Canada.

The State Department urges everyone in the region to register with the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program so officials can send security alerts and coordinate evacuations.

Americans should provide their exact location and contact details. Commercial flights remain available in limited numbers from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, and Egypt.

Evacuation operations are ongoing, with charter and military flights being arranged.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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