CNN
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Hundreds of Americans fled Iran as the conflict with Israel escalated, a State Department report said.
Details of Friday’s situation report highlight the dangers of US citizens in Iran as President Donald Trump considers US military action.
The exact number of Americans in Iran is unknown, and the State Department does not require US citizens to register their existence overseas.
Unlike Israel, where the US is working to establish international transport options for an estimated hundreds of thousands of Americans, Iranian American citizens do not have such an option. The United States has no diplomatic presence there.
“We do not anticipate that the US government will provide direct support to help its exit from Iran,” State Department spokesman Tammy Bruce noted at a press conference Friday.
The situation report described some of the Americans facing difficulties leaving Iran.
“Security alerts also make sure that Americans about to leave will encounter checkpoints and encounter questions from authorities.” “Many US citizens explain delays and harassment along the exit route.”
He also points out that two Americans were reportedly detained while they were about to leave the country.
One source attempting to take the family of US citizens from Iran expressed dissatisfaction with the State Department earlier this week, saying the agency appears to have postponed everything and overwhelmed the US embassy. This person wanted to see the sector put more pressure on Iran’s neighbors and approved the entrance to Americans. They also proposed to send out to help officials at the embassy near the Iranian border.
On Friday, more than 25,000 people were seeking information from the State Department about the “situation in Israel, the West Bank and Iran.”
Bruce said people are looking for “general information” and some of them may be asking about their departure.
The department has launched a “crisis intake form” for Israeli and Iranian Americans who want to know how to get out of those countries as the conflict continues.
“Americans seeking to leave should use the means of leaving existing means,” Bruce said at a press conference.
Meanwhile, Israeli US ambassador Mike Huckabee said Thursday that the US is “working to acquire military, commercial, charter flights and cruise ships” to evacuate Israel.
Trump opened a two-week negotiation window on Thursday to decide whether to attack Iran or not, sparking urgent efforts to resume speeches that were deadlocked when Israel launched its bombing campaign last week.