Trump’s excuse for stranded Americans in Middle East: It all happened “very quickly”

Trump said the U.S. had to move fast

President Trump faced questions on March 4 about why no evacuation plan existed for Americans in the Middle East before strikes launched on Feb. 28.

Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump told reporters things “happened all very quickly.” He said he believed Iran was about to attack Israel and others first, and the U.S. needed to strike before that happened.

Trump did not directly address concerns about stranded American civilians.

No broad warning reached American travelers

The government never issued a wide advisory to American travelers across the Gulf region before the Feb. 28 strikes.

The State Department did authorize non-emergency government employees and their families to leave Israel on Feb. 27, but that notice never mentioned Iran and did not cover ordinary civilians.

The State Department’s Worldwide Caution went up only after combat operations had already started. More than one million Americans were believed to be in the affected countries at the time.

The “depart now” alert came three days late

The State Department waited until Monday, March 3, three full days after strikes began, to issue its sweeping “depart now” advisory.

It covered 16 countries, including Iran, Iraq, Israel, the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Yemen.

By then, airports across the region had already closed or taken damage from Iranian retaliatory strikes. Thousands of commercial flights had been canceled, leaving Americans with few ways out.

The help hotline offered little help

Secretary Marco Rubio urged Americans to call a State Department hotline for help.

Callers heard an automated message telling them not to count on the U.S. government for an assisted departure or evacuation.

The recording said no U.S. evacuation points existed at that time. Americans who reached a live person said they got no real travel help.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt pointed people to the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, but callers said it led nowhere useful.

Rubio pointed to airspace, not planning failures

When reporters asked if there had been a plan to get Americans out before the strikes, Rubio said “that’s the plan we are trying to carry out.”

He blamed airspace closures for the delays, not a failure to plan ahead. By Tuesday, the administration said it was arranging charter flights from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan.

The State Department said it would cover the cost of government-arranged travel for American citizens trying to leave.

Officials gave shifting reasons for the strikes

The justification for the strikes changed several times within days. Trump first said the goal was to stop imminent threats from the Iranian regime.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the mission targeted Iran’s missiles, drones, and navy, and stressed it was not regime change.

Rubio told reporters the U.S. “knew there was going to be an Israeli action” and struck first to avoid American casualties.

Trump contradicted that the next day, saying it was his decision.

Rubio’s Israel comments drew sharp pushback

Rubio’s statement that Israel’s planned strike shaped U.S. timing drew fast pushback from lawmakers.

Sen. Angus King, an independent from Maine, called the admission “breathtaking” and asked whether the U.S. had handed the decision to go to war to another country.

Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia said he saw no evidence of an imminent threat to the United States from Iran. Rubio walked his comments back the next day, saying they had been taken out of context.

Democrats said nobody planned for this

Sen. Andy Kim of New Jersey, a former State Department official, called the delayed warnings “a clear sign of ZERO strategy and planning.”

Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut said the State Department was forcing everyone to leave but refusing to help them do it.

Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware called it a “war of choice” and demanded oversight hearings into the administration’s failure to protect Americans.

Several House Democrats also demanded the government arrange evacuation flights immediately.

Even Trump allies raised concerns

The criticism did not come only from Democrats.

Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene posted that the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem was telling Americans “good luck getting out, you are on your own.”

Greene noted that American taxpayers fund billions in annual aid to Israel. Some figures in Trump’s media circle, including Tucker Carlson, publicly questioned the strikes.

These breaks within the president’s own base reflected how deep the concern ran about the lack of civilian planning.

The government scrambled to arrange flights

By Tuesday, the State Department said it was setting up charter flights from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan. Officials said they were also working to arrange military aircraft for Americans who wanted to leave.

Assistant Secretary Dylan Johnson said the department was in direct contact with close to 3,000 stranded Americans.

Rubio said about 9,000 Americans had already left the region since the strikes began, and roughly 1,500 had formally asked for government help.

Embassy closures narrowed the options

U.S. embassies in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Beirut closed because of Iranian retaliatory strikes and security threats.

Two drones struck the U.S. Embassy compound in Riyadh, and an Iranian drone hit near the U.S. consulate in Dubai, starting a fire.

The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem told Americans it could not evacuate them or directly help them leave Israel.

Ambassador Mike Huckabee suggested Americans take Israeli government shuttle buses to the Egyptian border as the best available option.

What stranded Americans should know now

The State Department urges all Americans still in the region to register with the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program.

The assistance line is 1-202-501-4444 from abroad and 1-888-407-4747 from within the U.S., available around the clock. The government said it will cover the cost of charter and military flights for American citizens.

Ground options, including land crossings from Israel into Egypt and Jordan, may be open depending on security conditions. Americans should check State Department alerts on social media and WhatsApp for updates.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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