Americans trying to evacuate Middle East frustrated with government response

Source: CBS News

Updated on: March 4, 2026 / 8:36 PM EST


As the U.S. Department of State urges Americans to leave 14 countries across the Middle East amid the widening war with Iran, some Americans are voicing frustration with the lack of help from their government.

Sasha Hoffman, an American who lives in Chicago and was vacationing in Dubai when the U.S.-Israeli military action began, initially thought she would be able to wait out the fighting. But after hearing President Trump say Operation Epic Fury could last four to five weeks, her thinking changed.

"We're honestly trapped," she told CBS News on Tuesday. "It's really frustrating that right now the U.S. is saying 'Americans come home' when in reality we can't come home. We've had flights booked today, tomorrow, all of them are canceled. All of the airspace is closed through tomorrow night, now, if you're in the UAE." She said she understands the need to prioritize safety, "but then you can't tell us to get out and create no zone where we can all leave on commercial flights."

Hoffman also spoke of the fear of being trapped in a war zone, telling CBS News, "It's terrifying." "We're not used to it in the U.S., where you just hear fighter jets going on all day long, and you certainly don't hear the missiles actually landing and blowing up ... nor smoke plumes," she said. "These are not things that are normal. I even lived through the Boston Marathon bombing, I lived right above it, and this is so much worse than that."

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/americans-trying-to-evacuate-middle-east-frustrated-with-government-response/