US returns over 32,000 Americans from Middle East since start of Iran strikes

More than 32,000 US citizens have returned to the US from the Middle East since the start of joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran last Saturday, the State Department said Sunday.

Assistant Secretary of State Dylan Johnson said evacuation efforts remain ongoing despite improving commercial flight availability in the region.

"While commercial flight availability across the region continues to improve, Department of State charter flight and ground transport operations continue to ramp up, as security conditions allow," Johnson said on the US social media company X.

He added that the figure does not include Americans who relocated to other countries or those still in transit.

The evacuation effort comes as the US-Israeli attacks on Iran entered their ninth day.

The strikes have reportedly killed more than 1,200 people, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and triggered Iranian retaliatory drone and missile attacks targeting Israel and Gulf countries hosting US military assets.

The escalation has also disrupted air travel across parts of the Middle East.