Some Evacuation Flights Begin for Travelers Stranded in Middle East

The frantic efforts to evacuate hundreds of thousands of Westerners stranded by the fighting in the Middle East gathered pace on Wednesday, as more flights were scheduled to depart for Europe and the United States promised planes to bring Americans home.

President Trump on Tuesday said in a Truth Social post that the government would charter free flights for Americans in the region who registered with the State Department. His announcement came a day after the State Department urged Americans to leave the region but did not disclose plans to assist them, prompting confusion among those stranded.

European nations like France, Spain and the United Kingdom arranged a handful of flights for their citizens and commercial airlines began to resume flights from major regional airports.

Read more: New York Times