U.S. State Department official stated on Monday, the United States assisted about 170 U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, and their immediate family members in leaving Israel on Saturday and Sunday, according to Reuters report.
The facilitated exits from Israel coincide with heightened Middle East tensions following U.S. President Donald Trump’s Sunday morning delivery of huge bunker-buster bombs on Iranian nuclear production sites, joining Israel’s air assault against Tehran. Iran has made numerous threats of retaliation since then, Reuters added.
Following Tehran’s warning to retaliate for U.S. airstrikes on its nuclear sites, Iran’s military claimed to have launched a missile attack on the Al Udeid U.S. airbase in Qatar on Monday after hearing explosions throughout the capital, reported by Reuters.
According to Reuters, three aircraft carrying about 100 U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, and their immediate family members left Israel on Sunday, according to a State Department official.
When official stated, the State Department arranged two planes that took about 70 U.S. citizens, their immediate family members, and lawful permanent residents from Tel Aviv to Athens on Saturday, marking the start of the assisted departure flights.