Nearly 9,000 American citizens have left the Middle East since the start of joint U.S.–Israel military operations against Iran, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed on Tuesday.
The evacuation comes amid escalating hostilities following coordinated airstrikes by the United States and Israel targeting sites across Iran. On the fourth day of the conflict, U.S. President Donald Trump warned that the window for negotiations with Tehran had effectively closed, saying it was now “too late” to halt the fighting.
Heavy bombardment continued in the Iranian capital, Tehran, on Tuesday. According to reports, several hundred Iranian civilians have been killed since the outbreak of hostilities, including 165 children and school staff. Six American service members have also reportedly died in the conflict.
In retaliation, Iran has launched drone and missile strikes targeting oil facilities in the Gulf region and U.S. diplomatic missions. Rubio confirmed that a drone struck near the U.S. Consulate in Dubai, hitting a parking lot adjacent to the building and causing a fire. All embassy personnel were reported safe.
Rubio also said that approximately 1,600 U.S. citizens have requested assistance from the State Department as they seek to leave the region.
Meanwhile, senior national security officials from the Trump administration are briefing members of Congress on the rationale behind the military campaign. Alongside Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine are scheduled to address both chambers.
Although Republicans hold slim majorities in both the Senate and the House of Representatives and have largely supported Trump’s policies, some lawmakers from the president’s own party have joined Democrats in questioning whether congressional approval should have been secured before deploying U.S. forces abroad.
Source: TRT World
