Americans Struggle to Leave Middle East as U.S.-Israeli War with Iran Expands

Americans are struggling to evacuate from the Middle East as the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran continues to expand across the region, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday outlining plans to bring stranded citizens home.

"It's a lot of different things here that need to happen in order to move people," Rubio said, describing a mix of charter flights, military transports, expanded commercial flights, and land routes through neighboring countries to get Americans out.

The Trump administration is facing criticism over the lack of an immediate evacuation plan. President Trump suggested Tuesday that the war unfolded too quickly to prepare, though officials are now urging Americans stuck overseas to contact the State Department for help.

"It all starts by knowing where you are and how we can get a hold of you," Rubio said.

The war shows no signs of slowing. Iran continues launching retaliatory attacks across the region, including strikes on a U.S. consulate in Dubai and an air base in Qatar, where officials say an Iranian ballistic missile hit the largest U.S. military installation in the region. There were no casualties in either attack.

Meanwhile, sources say the CIA is working to arm Kurdish forces operating along the Iraq-Iran border, hoping to spark an uprising inside Iran.

Congress is set to weigh in on the war effort. The Senate will take a procedural vote Wednesday on a War Powers Resolution that would require Congressional approval before additional attacks can be carried out. The House plans to discuss the matter Wednesday ahead of a similar vote later this week.

President Trump has not ruled out expanding the war by sending U.S. ground troops.