US developing contingency plans to evacuate Americans from Mideast in case Israel-Hamas war spreads

By AAMER MADHANI, LOLITA C. BALDOR, and SEUNG MIN KIM
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is developing “prudent contingency planning” to evacuate Americans from the Middle East in case the Israel-Hamas war spreads into a broad regional conflict. White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby on Tuesday stressed there are currently no “active efforts” to evacuate Americans from the region beyond charter flights the U.S government began operating earlier this month out of Israel. President Joe Biden and Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also spoke by phone on Tuesday about the deteriorating situation. It was the two leaders’ first interaction since before Hamas attacked Israel.