The U.S. State Department announced that it established a Middle East task force, which operates 24 hours a day, to help coordinate support for U.S. citizens, diplomatic missions and personnel during the Israel-Iran conflict.
Tammy Bruce, the State Department spokeswoman, told reporters on Tuesday that the task force will help U.S. citizens, who are stranded in regional trouble spots, receive timely information, including travel advisories and security updates, through a website and hotline.
But details about the potential evacuation of U.S. citizens are lacking, including figures of how many Americans have requested to depart and what options are available to them, even as other countries are calling for their citizens to leave Israel.
“Our commitment is to the safety and security of Americans around the world,” Bruce told reporters at the department’s press briefing.
Bruce denied that the department was caught flat-footed by the conflict’s rapid pace.
“The Department of State is always planning for contingencies to assist private U.S. citizens’ departure from crisis areas, and we will alert the U.S. citizenry community if there is, and when there is, additional information to share regarding their options during any crisis, but certainly this one as well,” she said.
Given the rate at which Israel is dismantling Iran’s chain of political and military command, the issue may be moot, particularly if, as U.S. President Donald Trump hinted on Tuesday, the United States becomes actively involved in the attacks.
Trump called for the Islamic Republic’s “unconditional surrender” without defining the parameters. The president also used the word “we” multiple times in social media posts on Tuesday when referring to Iran’s precarious position, which some have interpreted to mean that Washington will play a more active role alongside the Jewish state in the attacks.
JNS asked Bruce if the State Department is also more inclined to share ownership of the attacks with Israel.
“I, again, can’t characterize the feelings of the president of the United States,” Bruce told JNS. “We know that he is our lead. We know that he is the guiding hand. We know that he is one of a few who know all the details, and he is clearly—has a mission and an agenda that has involved diplomacy and changing the world for the better for people.”
“He’s making comments that are a reflection of what he—what matters to him,” Bruce told JNS. “Of course, what matters to the president matters to the State Department and every other department.”
JNS also asked Bruce if the department has mapped out a day-after scenario in Iran should the regime fall, especially given that the department lacks a special envoy for Iran and confirmed envoys in key countries in the region.
“While you may not see things immediately, just because it’s not maybe in the news or you’re not present for things that occur, doesn’t mean they’re not occurring,” she told JNS.
“It’s not about the day after. We are working before, during and after,” Bruce said.
