APTOPIX Romania Iran Israel US
A family hugs after disembarking from an evacuation flight on a commercial airplane from Muscat, Oman, at the Henri Coanda International Airport in Otopeni, Romania, Friday, March 6, 2026.
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Israeli airstrikes are pounding the capitals of Iran and Lebanon as the U.S. apparently struck an Iranian drone carrier at sea. The campaign targeting the Islamic Republic’s fleet of warships is intensifying, with the death toll rising. It's also widening: AP sources say Russia provided Iran with information to help Tehran strike the US military. Iran launched new retaliatory attacks Friday against neighboring countries that host U.S. forces. U.S. President Donald Trump is calling for Iran’s “unconditional surrender.” The Israeli military says most of Iran’s air defenses and missile launchers are destroyed. British analysts say Iran's command-and-control of its military remains intact.
Stranded Americans across the Middle East say they’ve been left to navigate flight cancellations and confusing government guidance on their own. They expressed frustration with the State Department's directions to “depart now” on commercial flights even though much of the airspace across the Gulf remains closed or heavily restricted. Some have reported relying instead on WhatsApp group chats and friends. The State Department says since the war began on Feb. 28, about 27,000 Americans have returned safely to the U.S. Nearly all made it out on their own. The White House pushed back on criticism that the U.S. response has been too slow. The first U.S.-organized charter flight departed the region Wednesday.
