36,000 Americans BACK IN U.S. as State Department pushes resources for those STUCK in MIDDLE EAST

Over 36,000 Americans have safely returned to the United States from the Middle East since Operation Epic Fury began in Iran.

The State Department announced Monday that it has completed over two dozen charter flights and safely evacuated thousands of Americans.

"We have surged resources to the region in order to connect Americans with specific travel options. And right now, we have hundreds of personnel that are fielding calls, proactively making calls and identifying travel options and sharing security guidance as appropriate with those that are reaching out to us for assistance," Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott told The National News Desk's Kayla Gaskins on Monday.

The department said that while commercial flight availability continues to improve, the department continues to operate charter flights and ground transportation operations.

Right now, the department said seats available through the charter options are "significantly greater" than demand from Americans in the region, noting that many Americans are continuing to leave through commercial options.

"Most Americans who have requested assistance have declined assistance when offered, opting either to remain in the country or book commercial flight options," the department shared.

#statedepartment #tommypigott #iran #middleeast #travel #americans

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