At Hearing, Warren Slams State Department and DoD’s Failure To Evacuate Americans From Middle East

At Hearing, Warren Slams State Department and DoD's Failure To Evacuate Americans From Middle East

Warren: "Let's be clear, the Trump administration chose this war. They planned this war for months, and they made no plans to safeguard hundreds of thousands of Americans in the region. There is no excuse for this."

Video of Exchange (YouTube)

Washington, D.C. - At a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) pressed the United States Transportation Command (TRANSCOM) General Randall Reed on the Trump administration's handling of the war against Iran, highlighting the administration's failure to evacuate Americans despite spending months preparing for a war against Iran.

After the United States and Israel attacked Iran, the Trump administration dissuaded Americans from turning to the U.S. government for help and sent mixed signals about its ability to provide support. While the State Department posted on March 3 that the government was "actively securing military aircraft and charter flights for American citizens who wish to leave the Middle East," multiple reports indicated that Americans who called the State Department number initially received a voice message stating, "Please do not rely on the U.S. government for assisted departure or evacuation at this time. There are currently no United States evacuation points."

"Let's be clear, the Trump administration chose this war," said Senator Warren. "They planned this war for months, and they made no plans to safeguard hundreds of thousands of Americans in the region."

TRANSCOM has previously supported emergency evacuations of American citizens. After war broke out in Lebanon in 2006, the State Department requested support from DoD within two days. TRANSCOM helped to organize sea and air travel to help get almost 15,000 American citizens out of the country and into safety.

Senator Warren questioned General Reed on whether TRANSCOM would help to evacuate Americans if requested by the Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. General Reed confirmed that TRANSCOM would provide evacuation support, telling the senator the Department of State made a request to TRANSCOM for assistance on February 28, and they have provided some assistance. However, yesterday, TRANSCOM had claimed that the State Department had not asked for assistance.

General Reed also mentioned that Central Command has responded to the State Department's request for airlift at specified locations. When asked about the number of people airlifted, General Reed estimated it to be in the hundreds, despite thousands of Americans still reportedly being stuck in the region, and claimed TRANSCOM is responding to tasks as they are received.

Last week, Senator Warren led the Massachusetts delegation in sending a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio demanding an explanation into the Trump administration's "complete failure" to evacuate U.S. citizens - including Massachusetts residents - from the Middle East following the administration's starting a reckless war in Iran.

Senator Warren concluded the hearing by slamming the DoD's lack of clarity over the evacuations in the Middle East and the ongoing challenges for Americans who have been left behind.

Transcript: Hearings to examine the posture of United States European Command and United States Transportation Command in review of the Defense Authorization Request for Fiscal Year 2027 and the Future Years Defense Program.
Senate Armed Services Committee
March 12, 2026

Senator Elizabeth Warren: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. On February 28, Donald Trump launched his war against Iran. By March 1, Iranian strikes had hit at least six surrounding countries, but all the Trump administration said to Americans in the region was "exercise caution." On March 2, the State Department finally told Americans in over a dozen countries to evacuate but gave no real guidance on how to do that. As thousands of flights were canceled, the State Department initially told Americans to, quote, "not rely on the US government for assisted departure or evacuation."

Let's be clear, the Trump administration chose this war. They planned this war for months, and they made no plans to safeguard hundreds of thousands of Americans in the region.

There is no excuse for this, and I just want to draw a comparison here. In 2006, the State Department requested support from DOD just two days into the war in Lebanon. TRANSCOM arranged ships, commercial charters, and military flights for nearly 15,000 Americans.

General Reed, let me ask you if the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense asked TRANSCOM for help to evacuate Americans. Would you provide that support?

General Randall Reed: Senator, I would.

Senator Warren: Thank you. General Reed, we're almost two weeks into this war. Have Secretary Rubio and the State Department made any requests for TRANSCOM to help evacuate Americans out of the Middle East?

General Reed: Senator, on the 28th of February, the Department of State made a request to my department for that, and we have provided some assistance.

Senator Warren: So you're saying they made that request back on February 28?

General Reed: Yes, Senator.

Senator Warren: So, when we called them yesterday, they said they had not asked you for assistance. Can you explain why that would be so?

General Reed: Senator, I cannot explain that.

Senator Warren: I just don't understand this. And you have been helping them all this time?

General Reed: Senator, what we have done is, through Central Command, have responded to the request for the State Department to provide airlift at locations that they have specified.

Senator Warren: And how much have you airlifted in this period of time? How many people?

General Reed: Senator, I'll have to get that number.

Senator Warren: Can you get me a rough idea?

General Reed: Senator, it's been in the hundreds.

Senator Warren: Hundreds, not in the thousands?

General Reed: That's correct, but I will say that as we continue to watch the situation, there have been other flights and other opportunities for American citizens to get out of the way. Some of that has been by ground transportation, and some of it has been by commercial charters by the State Department.

Senator Warren: Are you saying you're not doing more because you think that Americans who are in the region are currently being adequately served by commercial flights and private vehicles out of the region? Is that what you're saying?

General Reed: Senator, what I'm saying is we have responded to requests for specific tasks, in conjunction with the commercial flights and what TRANSCOM is providing. There are a number of ways to get our citizens out of harm's way.

Senator Warren: Okay, and what I'm trying to understand is why you're not doing more. Because I'm hearing from my constituents who are stranded there, who've been stranded there for two weeks, and they're asking for help, and they're not getting help from the US government, and you're telling me that you're not helping because you think they've got plenty of other ways to get out of the region? Or is it that Secretary Rubio is not asking you for that help? I just want to understand who bears responsibility here.

General Reed: Senator, it is the responsibility of all to care for the citizens that we have in harm's way, and as we receive tasking and the opportunities to do that, TRANSCOM is responding.

Senator Warren: Okay, so my constituents and other Americans who are trapped in the region are trapped there because Secretary Rubio is not asking you for help. Is that right? I just want to understand what's happening.

General Reed: We've been asked for help, and we're available to do that. And so as we are able and the conditions permit with CENTCOM, we are involved in all the coordination to meet our citizens where we can get to them and then transport them to safety.

Senator Warren: So, you have provided all the help you've been asked for, you just haven't been asked for more help. Is that right?

General Reed: Senator, we have been, we have been tasked, and we have responded to each of those tasks.

Senator Warren: Look, I understand military speak here, but I don't understand how it is that we could get 15,000 people evacuated shortly after the war in Lebanon, and now we've still got thousands, tens of thousands of people trapped in the region. And I'm not understanding what your answer is here, and I don't think the American people are either.

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