U.S. Representative Suhas Subramanyam, who serves as the Ranking Member of the Military and Foreign Affairs Oversight Subcommittee, has called for urgent action from the State Department to help American citizens stranded in the Middle East. This comes after thousands of Americans were advised to leave the region on commercial flights following U.S. airstrikes on Iran. Since then, multiple sites housing Americans—including embassies and military bases—have been targeted by retaliatory attacks from Iran.
“It is the duty and responsibility of the United States government to ensure the safety of Americans both at home and around the globe. But it’s clear this administration did not adequately warn Americans in the region and did not prepare enough to keep them safe. I am demanding this administration spare no expense in protecting Americans in the Middle East. If we have billions to spend on bombs and bullets, we have the money to evacuate Americans in the region and get them home safely,” Subramanyam said.
In a letter addressed to Secretary Marco Rubio, Subramanyam raised questions about specific evacuation plans and what resources are needed for necessary evacuations. He also referenced previous criticism he made against the Trump administration regarding their lack of planning for similar situations.
Subramanyam’s letter detailed recent events following U.S. military actions against Iran on February 28, 2026. According to his account, there have been violent incidents at several U.S. embassies and consulates across cities such as Riyadh, Kuwait, Dubai, and locations in Pakistan. On March 2, Assistant Secretary Mora Namdar posted a message urging Americans to leave countries including Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel (and territories), Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen using any available commercial transportation due to heightened safety risks.
He noted that there are reportedly one million Americans currently in these regions who received little warning before being told to depart. The situation has been complicated by widespread flight cancellations—about 3,000 flights had already been cancelled by March 1—and suspension of operations at major airports like Dubai International and Dubai World Central since February 28.
While U.S. military forces managed to deploy additional assets into position ahead of hostilities with Iran, Subramanyam criticized what he described as a lack of strategic planning for civilian evacuations or support for those now caught up in regional violence.
His letter also pointed out that some countries affected do not currently have confirmed U.S. ambassadors or established leadership capable of assisting American citizens abroad. Additionally, it was noted that FBI Director Kash Patel recently dismissed members from a counterintelligence unit responsible for monitoring threats from Iran just days before military operations began.
“As this war continues,” Subramanyam wrote in his letter to Secretary Rubio, “I urge the Department to immediately put a plan in place to safely evacuate Americans in the region who are in harm’s way—a plan that goes beyond ‘using available commercial transportation.'”
He requested answers regarding whether any evacuation plans exist or are being developed; if there is coordination with allies such as European nations; whether any contingency measures were prepared prior to military strikes; and what assets would be required for an effective evacuation effort.
