Watch: Rubio defends US attack on Iran, says State Department helping Americans leave region

As the US war with Iran continues to escalate, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US State Department is working to organize charter flights and military options to help Americans leave the Middle East.

Watch Rubio’s remarks in the video player above.

Speaking to reporters after briefing senators on the war plans, Rubio said there are about 1,500 Americans seeking help to get out of the Middle East, and about 9,000 people have been able to leave since the beginning of the war.

He watches: As Iran expands its retaliatory attacks, the United States urges Americans to leave the Middle East

“We have identified and continue to identify charter flights, military flight options and expanded commercial flight options, which means working with airlines to send larger planes with more seats and combining those three things,” Rubio said.

Rubio also asked the press to broadcast State Department numbers for Americans evacuating the area.

“We know we will be able to help them,” Rubio said of the estimated 1,500 Americans in affected areas.

“It will take some time because we do not control the closure of airspace,” he said. “However, there may be more people who need help. We need to know who you are.”

The Department of State provides information at https://www.state.gov that directs people to register at https://step.state.gov to receive the latest security updates. She also said Americans who need consular assistance can call +1-202-501-4444 (from abroad) and +1-888-407-4747 (from the United States and Canada) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Rubio also spoke about the drone strike near the US Consulate in Dubai, saying: “All individuals have been identified.”

He added that a drone struck a parking lot adjacent to the Chancellery building and then started a fire, but most of the employees had already left.

“Obviously we’ve been very fortunate, but our embassies and our diplomatic facilities are under direct attack from a terrorist regime,” Rubio said.

The foreign minister also issued a warning to Iran, saying: “We will unleash Chiang on these people in the next few hours and days.”

“You’re really going to start to see a change in the scope and severity of these attacks, as the two most powerful air forces in the world frankly dismantle, disarm, and strip this terrorist regime of its ability to threaten its neighbors,” Rubio added.

“We won’t get hit first.”

Rubio insisted that Trump made the decision to attack Iran because last weekend presented what he described as a unique opportunity for mission success.

“The president is determined that we won’t get hit first. It’s that simple,” Rubio said before a closed briefing for lawmakers.

Rubio was reconsidering his comments he made the previous day, which had received backlash. At the time, he said Trump believed Israel was determined to act, and wanted the United States to first initiate a pre-emptive strike on Iran to prevent any retaliation for US bases and operations in the region.

Read more: Netanyahu risks American support for Israel with war against Iran

He added: “We will not expose American forces to danger.”

Amid the administration’s changing reasons for war with Iran, Rubio also returned to Trump’s initial logic. He added: “It is not possible in the world for this terrorist regime to obtain nuclear weapons without the supervision of Donald Trump.”

“The world will be a safer place when extremist clerics no longer have access to these weapons,” Rubio said.