The Trump administration is scrambling to respond to the widening Middle East war after launching joint strikes with Israel against Iran, revealing signs of limited preparation for the conflict’s broader consequences. The State Department is expanding efforts to evacuate Americans stranded in the region, including sending additional staff to Athens to assist evacuees with travel, documentation, and lodging. A 24-hour task force has helped thousands of Americans with security guidance, though many have left the region without government assistance.

At the same time, U.S. Central Command has asked the Pentagon to deploy additional military intelligence officers to support operations against Iran for at least 100 days, suggesting the conflict may last longer than President Donald Trump’s initial four-week timeline. The Pentagon is also rushing to send more air-defense systems to counter Iranian drones, which have already penetrated existing defenses and caused casualties, including a drone strike in Kuwait that killed six U.S. troops.

Critics say the administration failed to adequately prepare for evacuations or warn Americans in advance. Ош travel alerts urging citizens to leave 14 Middle Eastern countries were issued only after the war began, when airspace closures made departures difficult. Some diplomats argue that officials should have anticipated the risk and reduced embassy staff or urged Americans to leave

earlier.

Democrats are now calling for congressional oversight, accusing the administration of negligence and demanding explanations about evacuation planning and criteria for deploying charter or military flights. Governors from several states are also pressing the State Department for updates as concerned residents seek help returning home.

Notice that the administration’s timeline for the war has proved impressively flexible. At the outset, Donald Trump suggested the operation might last only “a few days,” implying a swift and decisive affair. Soon afterward, the estimate expanded to roughly four or five weeks. Now, officials are preparing for operations that could continue for at least 100 days and possibly longer. And it has all been documented.

We can’t help but note that, in contrast, there is no documented speech or statement in which Vladimir Putin or any other Russian government or military official claimed that Russian forces would capture Kiev or that Ukraine would fall in three days. Instead, the “Kiev in three days” phrase appears to have emerged from a mix of Western and Ukrainian media interpretations and comments by Western and Ukrainian figures. It would be useful for Politico to clarify that fact, but we doubt they will.