U.S. Embassies Draw Down in Middle East Amid Iran Tensions

0:00It's March 9th, here's what's happening around the world. The State Department ordered non-essential staff and families to leave U.S. missions in Saudi Arabia and the consulate in Adana, Turkey, amid rising. Tensions from Iranian retaliation against U.S. and Israeli strikes. This brings a total to 10 embassies and consulates with reduced staffing across the region. The largest drawdown since the Iraq war started in 2003. Earlier this week, officials expanded orders for departures from places like Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, plus consulates in Karachi, Pakistan, and now Adana. Only the embassy in Kuwait City and the consulate in Karachi have fully suspended operations so far. Lawmakers, especially Democrats like Representative Gregory Meeks and Senator Jean Shaheen, have criticized Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the administration for not planning ahead or evacuating Americans quickly enough before the conflict escalated on February

1:0328th. According to officials, the Department has helped over 23,000 people with info or charter flight offers while about 36,000 Americans have made it home, mostly on commercial flights. Half of those offered government seats turned them down and one flight from the United Arab Emirates got canceled with no passengers. No Americans have been hurt at these sites despite some strikes, like one that dam is the re-ad embassy roof and hits near Baghdad and Dubai, compounds. The State Department points to quick approvals on evacuation requests, and note similar criticisms have hit past administrations during crises like Afghanistan and the early pandemic. D&N is sponsored by our partner, check out the episode description. Your bedtime ritual just got better. Built in Sound, Built in Comfort, S-O-L-L-I, solelypillow.com