Donald Trump’s administration on Tuesday posted messages saying it was desperately trying to rescue hundreds of Americans stranded in the Middle East, four days after the crisis began.
The State Department said it secures military aircraft and charter flights for American citizens who wish to leave the Middle East. “We have been in direct contact with nearly 3,000 Americans abroad,” said the Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs. “US citizens should call 1-202-501-4444 for assistance with departure options.” White House Advisor Stephen Cheung appealed to all media channels to display this information on screens and social media.
‘Americans are being held hostage’: Massive backlash on social media
Reactions were brutal with social media users saying the phone number distributed by the government too late did not work
- ‘Rather late don’t you think? 4 days without a plan…
- Airports are closed. The United States government has left American civilians stranded in a war zone.
- “It seems like this information would have been more useful about 5 days ago?”
- “What a devastating irony that, before this is over, America will once again find itself a hostage in Iran.”
- “It is unbelievable that there was/is no plan to ensure the safety of Americans. This is literally the government’s job!”
The Americans also compared the reactions of other countries, as their governments evacuated them, while the Americans contented themselves with issuing warnings asking Americans to leave the countries of the conflict zone, while all airports were closed.
How to leave
American businessman James Blunt said he called the State Department’s emergency number, but after 30 minutes on the phone, he read about the security update that had already been posted online. “I understand the protocols. I understand the evacuation thresholds. But asking Americans to ‘leave now’ when there are no commercial options and offering no practical path is frustrating to say the least,” Blunt wrote.
