US Sends Mixed Signals on Evacuation Plans
(MENAFN) The United States declared on Wednesday that it had “no announcement” regarding assistance for private individuals wishing to depart from Israel.
This came shortly before the US Embassy in Jerusalem indicated that it was working on potential options for evacuations, in light of the intensifying conflict between Iran and Israel.
In a social media post late Wednesday, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee issued an “Urgent notice!” stating that “American citizens wanting to leave Israel – US Embassy in Israel … is working on evacuation flights & cruise ship departures.”
He urged US nationals to sign up with the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to stay informed.
However, approximately nine hours earlier, the same US Embassy had posted on X that it had “no announcement” concerning assistance for private citizens trying to leave the country.
The embassy added that the State Department “is always planning for contingencies to assist with private U.S. citizens’ departure from crisis areas.”
Despite this shift in tone, the timing and availability of any flights or cruises remained uncertain, as Ben Gurion Airport and all seaports in Israel are currently shut down.
In another development, President Donald Trump told journalists that he had not yet decided whether he would permit the US military to support Israel in its ongoing offensive against Iran.
He stated: “I may do it. I may not do it.”
The already strained regional environment deteriorated further after Israeli forces conducted air raids last Friday on various targets in Iran, including military and nuclear sites. In response, Tehran launched retaliatory missile attacks.
According to Israeli officials, these Iranian strikes have resulted in at least 24 deaths and have left hundreds wounded.
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