State Department uses Patriots team plane to evacuate Americans from Middle East

A New England Patriots level was utilized by the State Department arsenic portion of efforts to determination Americans retired of the Middle East arsenic the U.S.-Israeli associated subject run against Iran entered its seventh day. 

Dylan Johnson, the adjunct caput of State for Global Public Affairs, posted a photograph connected X showing Americans boarding a charter formation retired of the Middle East. The plane, displaying the Patriots logo and colors, landed successful Washington, D.C., connected Friday morning, according to the State Department. 

A root told Fox News Digital that the Patriots "encourage" the charter institution that operates the squad planes "​​to usage them for missions similar this and different humanitarian and nationalist involvement benignant missions" erstwhile the planes are not being utilized by the team.   (State Department via X)

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"Americans boarding 1 of the galore State Department charter flights leaving the Middle East to the U.S.," Johnson wrote connected X. "This level landed safely this greeting successful Washington."

A root told Fox News Digital that the Patriots "encourage" the charter institution that operates the squad planes "​​to usage them for missions similar this and different humanitarian and nationalist involvement benignant missions" erstwhile the planes are not being utilized by the team.  

The New England Patriots squad level delivers N95 masks from Shenzhen, China, to Logan International Airport successful Boston connected April 2, 2020, to assistance dilatory the dispersed of the coronavirus outbreak. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

The Associated Press reported Friday that the Patriots level was the 2nd specified formation to onshore astatine Dulles International Airport extracurricular Washington. The NFL squad reportedly did not wage for oregon put the flight.

Johnson said Friday that the 24,000 American citizens "have safely returned to the United States from the Middle East" since Feb. 28, noting that the fig did not see Americans who person relocated to different countries oregon are inactive en way to the U.S.  

President Donald Trump said successful a Truth Social station connected Friday that the U.S. is moving "thousands of people" retired of the Middle East. 

"We are moving thousands of radical retired of assorted Countries passim the Middle East. It is being done quietly, but seamlessly," helium wrote Friday. "The State Department, nether Secretary Marco Rubio, is doing a large job!"

President Donald Trump listens during an lawsuit astir the Ratepayer Protection Pledge, successful the Indian Treaty Room of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building connected the White House complex, Wednesday, March 4, 2026, successful Washington. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo)

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The State Department has urged Americans successful request of assistance getting retired of the Middle East to telephone its 24/7 hotline astatine +1-202-501-4444.

Fox News Digital’s Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.

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