State Dept. calls Israel–Iran ceasefire fragile; announces evacuations, $5 million reward and regional support

Tammy, a State Department spokesperson, said Tuesday that a ceasefire between Israel and Iran is fragile while announcing ongoing U.S. assistance to American citizens in the region and a Rewards for Justice offer for a man believed detained by the Taliban.

"The Department is providing information and support to over 27,000 people seeking guidance regarding the conflict between Israel and Iran," Tammy said, adding that assisted-departure flights from Israel began on June 21 and that flights have taken hundreds of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents and their immediate family members out of the country.

The update matters because U.S. officials are managing both citizen evacuations and a shifting security environment after reported strikes on Iranian nuclear sites and a fast-moving ceasefire. The State Department also announced a reward and reiterated diplomatic and military cooperation with regional partners that it said helped repel recent missile attacks.

Tammy said the department was "grateful to our partners in the region and around the world for welcoming American citizens," and praised Qatari cooperation and the role of U.S. and Qatari forces defending Al Udeid Air Base, saying many incoming missiles were "successfully intercepted." She added that "thankfully, no Americans or Qataris were hurt."

In the briefing, Tammy relayed a quotation from President Donald Trump about the strikes on Iranian facilities: "both Israel and Iran wanted to stop the war equally. It was my great honor to destroy all nuclear facilities and capability and then stop the war." Reporters asked whether the U.S. had completed bomb-damage assessments or if the strikes had definitively destroyed all nuclear infrastructure; Tammy declined to provide a conclusive assessment and said such information would come from officials with direct operational knowledge.

The State Department announced that its Rewards for Justice program is offering up to $5,000,000 for information leading to the location, recovery and safe return of Mahmoud Shah Habibi, whom the spokesperson said was abducted by the Taliban's General Directorate of Intelligence on 08/10/2022 and has not been heard from since. The department provided a contact number, +1 (202) 702-7843, and the website rewardsforjustice.net.

Reporters pressed the department on whether sanctions on Iran would be lifted or whether waivers would be issued to allow trade, and on whether a third party would monitor the ceasefire if it holds. Tammy repeatedly declined to discuss internal interagency processes or pending decisions, saying those would be matters for the White House or the Department of Defense where appropriate.

Tammy also condemned an attack on the Mar Elias Greek Orthodox Church and called on the Syrian government to "hold all perpetrators of violence accountable and ensure the security of all Syrians, including members of religious and ethnic minorities." When asked about the United States' willingness to assist a Syrian interim or transitional government, Tammy pointed to the role of Ambassador Tom Barrack (described in the briefing as a U.S. envoy) and said sanctions had been lifted in some cases to allow regional assistance.

Tammy said the department would hold another briefing Thursday and that many details — including how humanitarian and diplomatic initiatives for Gaza or elsewhere will proceed — remain to be determined.

Ending: The State Department reiterated contact and reporting information for the Rewards for Justice offer and said it would provide additional briefings as events unfold.