The New England Patriots arrive at San Jose Mineta International Airport ahead of Super Bowl LX on February 01, 2026 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
OAN Staff Addie Davis 2:32 PM – Friday, March 6, 2026
The U.S. State Department has reportedly been chartering flights to evacuate American citizens from the Middle East amid the ongoing U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran, Operation Epic Fury, which began in late February.
The flight carrying hundreds of Americans landed safely at Dulles International Airport outside Washington, D.C., on Friday morning, Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs Dylan Johnson announced in an X post.
“Americans boarding one of the many State Department charter flights leaving the Middle East to the U.S.,” Johnson stated in the post, attaching a photo of people boarding the plane.
👀 Americans boarding one of the many State Department charter flights leaving the Middle East to the U.S.
Under a long-term agreement, Omni Air International is operating the New England Patriots’ two Boeing 767 aircraft. These planes handle team travel while also serving as available charter options for other purposes, including humanitarian and goodwill missions.
The aircraft have frequently supported non-team flights, such as delivering medical equipment and supplies to Haiti following the 2021 earthquake, as reported by CBS News.
As Johnson later clarified, the State Department fully funded this particular charter flight. The plane is part of the charter fleet managed by Omni Air International, which the department contracted for the evacuation effort.
In another Friday post, Johnson laid out more details regarding the State Department’s efforts to help Americans get home safely from the Middle East.
“Since February 28, nearly 24,000 American citizens have safely returned to the United States from the Middle East,” he said, clarifying the figures do not include Americans that relocated to other countries or those still in transit to the U.S.
“Several flights have safely returned hundreds of Americans to the United States with additional flights scheduled to take place over the coming days, as security conditions allow,” he added.
Since February 28, nearly 24,000 American citizens have safely returned to the United States from the Middle East.
These figures do not include the many Americans who have safely relocated to other countries or those who have departed the Middle East but are still in transit…
Estimates for the total number of Americans in the Middle East — including dual citizens — vary significantly, and there is no exact real-time count for those currently traveling in the region.
Amid the escalation of Operation Epic Fury, Johnson has urged all Americans in Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Israel to immediately complete the Crisis Intake Form to secure government-assisted travel.
“We are moving thousands of people out of various Countries throughout the Middle East. It is being done quietly, but seamlessly,” President Donald Trump posted to social media on Friday. He praised the State Department, under the leadership of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, for its work.
“We are moving thousands of people out of various Countries throughout the Middle East. It is being done quietly, but seamlessly. The State Department, under Secretary Marco Rubio, is doing a great job!” – President DONALD J. TRUMP pic.twitter.com/pvHTkCpRB3
Johnson also added that the availability of commercial flights is improving “with commercial options available in most of the region.”
The department’s 24/7 Task Force has directly assisted approximately 13,000 Americans with security guidance and emergency travel arrangements since the onset of the crisis.
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