Senator Coons emphasizes urgent need to evacuate Americans and calls for oversight hearings into President Trump’s failure to protect Americans in the Middle East

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) today criticized the Trump administration's failure to protect Americans from its war of choice in Iran, calling for a clear strategy and the devotion of adequate resources to evacuate American civilians from the Middle East and swift oversight hearings into the administration's failure to plan.

"The last few days have made clear just how little thought President Trump and his administration put into keeping American service members, diplomats, their families, and civilians safe, despite moving one third of our Navy into the region in advance and allegedly preparing for war with Iran for months," Senator Coons said.

"Six U.S. troops were killed because their base was not adequately protected from foreseeable attacks by Iranian drones, despite their pleas for greater fortifications. Three of our embassies and one consulate have been attacked, and our longtime partners in the region are running dangerously low on air defense munitions. Thousands of American citizens and embassy personnel have been ordered to immediately leave the region and have been left largely on their own to do so. A core function of our foreign policy is to keep Americans safe. This administration's failure to protect our soldiers, diplomats, and civilians in the region is a disgraceful dereliction of duty. Thus far, the president's response to this reckless incompetence has simply been 'that's the way it is.'

"The administration needs to act promptly to evacuate Americans in harm's way. Secretary Hegseth and Secretary Rubio must promptly appear before my subcommittee and other national security committees and explain to the American people how it is possible that they so poorly planned for the protection and evacuation of Americans from their war of choice."

Senator Coons is the Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense and a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.