By STEFANIE DAZIO
BERLIN (AP) — As the conflict involving Iran intensifies across the Middle East, tens of thousands of individuals, ranging from Romanian religious pilgrims to tourists and relatives of diplomats, find themselves stranded throughout the region.
The escalation has led major airlines to suspend their flights to and from the area, while airspace over the Gulf remains closed. Those affected face various challenges; some are seeking refuge from ongoing airstrikes, while others are trapped on cruise ships unable to navigate the Strait of Hormuz due to the turmoil.
In a significant advisory issued on Monday, the U.S. State Department called for American citizens to evacuate over a dozen countries in the Middle East. This urgent plea comes as the safety risks in the region continue to escalate, plunging the area into considerable disorder.
Mora Namdar, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs, took to social media platform X to emphasize that Americans in countries such as Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Israel should “DEPART NOW” by using any available commercial means.
The State Department has also begun evacuating non-essential personnel and their families from six nations, recently including the United Arab Emirates in its directives. Despite its reputation as a stable part of the Middle East, the UAE—home to major cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi—has found itself embroiled in the conflict through recent attacks and military interceptions.
In Israel, meanwhile, the U.S. ambassador told Americans there that the best way to leave is through Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula.
Mike Huckabee wrote on social media early Tuesday that the embassy was receiving lots of evacuation requests as embassy staff “are sheltering in place.”
“There are VERY LIMITED options,” he wrote. “Not sure when Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv will reopen.” He advised Americans to take buses to the Egyptian resorts of Sharm el-Sheikh and Taba in southern Sinai.
Governments try to get their citizens home
Governments worldwide are scrambling to repatriate their citizens.
In Italy, the government has assisted with flights to Milan and Rome in the wake of mounting criticism against Defense Minister Guido Crosetto. The minister sparked a political controversy at home after being stuck in Dubai with his family during the initial phase of the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran.
Crosetto returned to Rome on Sunday on a military aircraft. The left-wing opposition has called for Crosetto’s resignation, saying he should not have traveled to the Middle East during a crisis. Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni has defended him.
An estimated 30,000 German tourists remained on cruise ships, in hotels or at closed airports in the Middle East, and the first plane from Dubai to Frankfurt, Germany, was expected to land Tuesday afternoon.
The German government is also seeking to charter planes at taxpayer expense to get vulnerable people — including ill travelers, children and pregnant people — back home.
France is also trying to organize the return of thousands of French people, the country’s foreign affairs minister said Tuesday. An estimated 200,000 French people live in the region affected by the conflict, and authorities believe roughly 25,000 French citizens are currently visiting the area.
Returning travelers feel relief
Early Tuesday, Romanian tourists arrived in Bucharest after traveling from Israel to Cairo to escape the conflict. Hundreds of Romanian Orthodox Church pilgrims were stranded in Israel while visiting Bethlehem on a trip led by Romanian priests when the war broke out. The group was forced to cut their trip short and return to Romania.
Pilgrim Mariana Muicaru said she was terrified during her time in Israel as rockets flew across the sky.
“We called our children at 3 a.m. to ask forgiveness because we might die and to tell them we love them and to let them know that it’s over for us,” she told The Associated Press.
The previous night, British travelers who were trapped in the United Arab Emirates were relieved to land safely in London’s Heathrow Airport.
Adam Barton, who was traveling with his family from Abu Dhabi, said he was getting alerts as he was in the airport before he left.
“We had an alert on our phone, saying to get away from the windows for potential missile attacks,” Barton told Sky News.
A flight from Dubai, meanwhile, landed in Serbia’s capital, Belgrade, on early Tuesday morning with roughly 200 passengers.
One traveler told the state RTS broadcaster he’d been in a hotel waiting and was given 15 minutes to pack.
Samuel Petrequin in Paris, Giada Zampano in Rome, Nicolae Dumitrache in Bucharest, Romania, Samy Magdy in Cairo, and Jovana Gec in Belgrade, Serbia, contributed to this report.
