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State Department urges U.S. citizens abroad to enroll in STEP, adds crisis intake form; says 25,000 people have sought information
Summary
A State Department spokesperson said the department added a crisis intake form and urged U.S. citizens in Israel, the West Bank and Iran to sign up for STEP and use travel.state.gov. The spokesman said the department has provided information to more than 25,000 people but declined to break down that figure or provide counts of departures.
The U.S. Department of State on Thursday urged American travelers to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), monitor travel.state.gov and use a new crisis intake form to request assistance amid ongoing hostilities in Israel, the West Bank and Iran.
State Department spokesperson Tammy said the department had added “a crisis intake form, which can be found by clicking the banner on the top of travel.state.gov,” and repeated the department’s hotline for Americans overseas as +1 (202) 501-4444. “The U.S. Department of State has no higher priority than the safety and security of Americans,” Tammy said.
Why it matters: The form and the online banner are intended to centralize requests for information and assistance during a fast-moving regional crisis. The department said the intake form allows U.S. citizens in Israel, the West Bank and Iran to register interest in departure assistance and to receive further instructions.
Tammy said the State Department has provided information and support to “over 25,000 people seeking guidance regarding the situation in Israel, the West Bank, and Iran.” She declined, however, to provide reporters with a breakdown showing how many people contacted the department from each location or how many used advice to depart. “Those are not numbers that I will share at this time,” she said.
The spokeswoman also said the department “does not anticipate offering direct U.S. government assisted departure from Iran,” and urged Americans in Iran to “take advantage of existing means to leave.” Reporters asked whether any government-organized military, commercial charter flights or cruise-ship evacuations had taken place; Tammy declined to provide details from the podium and directed reporters to statements issued by local U.S. embassy or consulate posts for site-specific updates.
Tammy encouraged callers to be persistent if the phone line is busy and to complete the online form in addition to calling. She said embassy teams are posting actions they are taking on local embassy websites and that a State Department task force is handling inquiries and assistance requests.
The spokeswoman did not confirm whether private or state-led charter flights (including an effort mentioned by Florida officials) were coordinated with the State Department and referred questions about any specific privately organized flights to those organizers’ offices.
