The Trump administration is under fire as thousands of Americans are trapped in a war zone

WASHINGTON – Days after the US and Israel began an air war against Iran, the State Department issued new advisories warning Americans to reconsider traveling to several countries in the region. By then it was too late.

Thousands of Americans are now stranded in the Middle East as Iran retaliates with drone attacks on US facilities, prompting Democratic lawmakers and current and former State Department officials to sharply criticize the Trump administration for failing to plan for what they say was a predictable scenario.

“You would have very few people in trouble,” said a State Department official on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak publicly.

American citizens living in countries such as Jordan, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates have received conflicting advice from the State Department. They were told to evacuate immediately from other areas even though the airports were closed. The State Department also advised people to contact US embassies for help, only to be met with busy signals or harassed staff unable to provide assistance.

“These problems were predictable,” dozens of Democrats in Congress wrote in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. “The lack of clear preparation, planning and communication with Americans abroad is unacceptable and violates the basic mission of the State Department to provide diplomatic assistance and protect American citizens overseas.”

American officials – and President Donald Trump himself – have struggled to explain why the government was not better prepared for the consequences of Iran’s retaliation and what messages it should convey to Americans in the region.

“It’s happening very quickly,” Trump told reporters on Tuesday.

In the past few days, the US Embassy in Jordan was evacuated due to an attack threat, the US Embassy in Kuwait was bombed, the US Embassy in Saudi Arabia caught fire after it was hit by two Iranian drones, and a drone attack set fire to the parking lot outside the US Embassy in Dubai, UAE.

At least six American service members have been killed since the US and Israel attacked Iran. But there have been no reports of American deaths.

White House press secretary Caroline Leavitt dismissed criticism that the administration should have done more to warn Americans and help those stranded overseas.

“There were a lot of signs put out by the State Department,” Leavitt said.

He added that Rubio has issued “Level 4 travel advisories effective in January for many of these countries in the region.”

That’s the highest level, equivalent to a “don’t walk” warning. A number of countries had that designation before the war, including Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen.

But it was only after the launch of the air campaign at the weekend that the State Department issued Level 3 advisories to “reconsider travel” for at least seven countries in the region: Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Cyprus.

The Defense Department said the military was planning to help the evacuation mission with C-17 cargo planes, while State Department officials said they were planning chartered planes to evacuate Americans from the war zone.

Late Wednesday, the State Department said another such plane had left the Middle East and was en route to the US.

Rubio told reporters on Tuesday that the US has arranged flights for American citizens but other countries have closed their airspace because of the Iranian drone attack.

“The challenge we face is the closure of the airspace,” Rubio said, adding: “But rest assured, we are confident that we will be able to help every American.”

As of Wednesday, the State Department said it has assisted nearly 6,500 Americans abroad, providing them with safety guidance and travel assistance.

Current and former officials say the administration’s drastic cuts to the State Department’s staff, and its failure to appoint ambassadors to several Arab countries affected by the crisis, have left the foreign service short-handed at a time when it needs experienced veterans to handle the growing crisis.

“You’re hearing mixed messages from the White House,” said a former State Department official.

“If you don’t have the experts that you used to see, you don’t have confirmed ambassadors in the post, you don’t have that direct connection with the White House, I think that has a big impact on our planning and our messaging.”

The American Foreign Service Association, which acts as a trade union for US diplomats, said the crisis “exposes real gaps in America’s advocacy readiness” after the administration cut State Department staff.

The agency said it “warned that the State Department’s capabilities have been weakened by the loss of personnel with critical regional expertise, crisis management, consular, and linguistic expertise, including Farsi and Arabic experts – skills that are very important in times like these.”

Cody Greene, 36, an American from Tampa, Florida, was on a business trip to Dubai when the fight broke out.

“My son’s first birthday is today. I promised my wife I’d be home on time — and look what happened,” Greene told NBC News on Wednesday.

He said he called the number of the State Department that released Americans trapped in the Middle East but did not receive help.

“It was an automatic line that told you that the US has no bailout plans, and you need to build a shelter for yourself,” he said.

Greene added: “I feel betrayed and left out to be stopped by my government who started this whole thing without a plan to get their people out.”