Countries Work to Repatriate Citizens, Support Stranded Foreign Nationals

The United States advised its citizens in more than a dozen Middle Eastern countries to leave, and Japan issued travel warnings for six countries near Iran.

People disembark from a military aircraft as they arrive in Slovakia after being evacuated from the Middle East, on March 3, 2026. Martin Baumann/TASR via AP

Countries from around the world have begun repatriating their citizens from the Middle East, amid escalating tensions in the region since the start of the war with Iran.

Travelers have found themselves stranded in the region after the United States and Israel began their operations against the Iranian regime, with much of the airspace being closed or restricted for days.

According to an X post shared by the official White House Rapid Response account, State Department principal deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott told CNN on March 5 that the department was working “24/7” to bring Americans home.

“Over 20,000 Americans have been able to return to the United States since this began, including the provision of direct assistance to nearly 10,000 by our 24/7 task force,” Pigott said.

The returns follow March 2 advice from the State Department for Americans currently in more than a dozen Middle Eastern regions and countries to leave immediately, due to “serious safety risks.”

Over in Europe, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said in a March 5 post on X that the latest group of Spanish citizens who were in the Middle East had landed at Torrejón Air Base, and that his office is continuing to work to ensure that “all ongoing evacuation operations conclude successfully.”

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told Parliament on March 4 that his government was deploying six crisis response teams to the Middle East.

“We’ve already deployed military assets as part of our contingency planning earlier this week,” Albanese said.

Japan Issues Travel Warning

Japan is also working to evacuate its citizens, with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi issuing do-not-travel advisories for several Middle Eastern countries.

Takaichi said in a post on X on March 5 that the travel warning was issued “in light of the deteriorating situation in the Middle East” and extends to countries surrounding Iran that are under attack; specifically, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, the eastern region of Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

Passengers arrive from Abu Dhabi at Leonardo da Vinci Rome Fiumicino Airport in Fiumicino, Italy, on March 3, 2026. Valentina Stefanelli/LaPresse via AP

She said that her government would transport Japanese nationals currently residing in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE who wish to return home over land to Oman and Saudi Arabia, where chartered flights will fly them to Tokyo.

Tokyo will dispatch an overseas emergency deployment team to the region to ensure the safety of citizens and facilitate their departure, the prime minister said.

Israel Brings Citizens Home

The Israeli Ministry of Transport said in a March 5 post on its Telegram channel that the first two flights had landed that morning at Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport to bring stranded Israelis home, after airspace had been closed to air travel.

The ministry stated that the first El Al flight took off from Athens and landed at Ben Gurion with 170 passengers.

An Israir flight from Rome landed with another 170 passengers.

The ministry stated the Israeli Airports Authority is preparing to operate additional flights to Ben Gurion Airport. During the day, return flights are expected to land every hour, operating “with the aim of safely returning all Israelis to Israel,” the ministry stated.

Countries Aiding Foreign Nationals

Some countries are offering support to foreign nationals stranded in their countries, including Oman, which is organizing flights for visitors trying to get home.

Oman’s top diplomat, Badr al-Busaidi, said in a post on X that his country is working with other governments and international airlines to organize flights for those wanting to leave the region.

“We mean everyone, whatever passport you hold. The citizens of all countries have the human right to safety and security,” al-Busaidi said on March 5.

Passengers stranded by the closure of Dubai International Airport await assistance in the airport parking lot in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on March 1, 2026. Altaf Qadri/AP Photo

Qatar Airways said in a post on X that it will start operating a limited number of “relief flights” from March 5 to “support passengers who are stranded due to the current situation across the region.”