White House launches portal to ‘help’ Americans

President Donald Trump on Tuesday admitted that the United States had no evacuation plan for Americans in the Middle East as the US joined Israel to conduct airstrikes on Iranian targets Saturday. Shortly afterwards, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt launched an online portal “to help Americans in the Middle East return home.”

Because it did happen all very quickly,” Trump said at a presser at the White House, arguing that the situation in Iran unfolded too quickly to plan for evacuating Americans in advance.

Leavitt then posted a registration link to the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). “The United States State Department is actively working on plans to help Americans in the Middle East return home,” she wrote

Thousands of Americans are stranded in Middle Eastern countries amid the escalating conflict in the region, CNN reports. There are growing concerns surrounding their security and safety as most airspaces remain closed.

Earlier, the US State Department had asked Americans in the Middle East to evacuate by commercial means. However, acting on the “depart now” alert has become difficult since most airlines are not operating flights out of the Middle East.