{"id":2576818,"date":"2026-03-06T08:04:02","date_gmt":"2026-03-06T13:04:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hundreds-turn-to-private-rescue-company-for-middle-east-evacuations\/"},"modified":"2026-03-06T08:09:05","modified_gmt":"2026-03-06T13:09:05","slug":"hundreds-turn-to-private-rescue-company-for-middle-east-evacuations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hundreds-turn-to-private-rescue-company-for-middle-east-evacuations\/","title":{"rendered":"Hundreds turn to private rescue company for Middle East evacuations"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fhundreds-turn-to-private-rescue-company-for-middle-east-evacuations%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2576818&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>gray Bull Rescue,a <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >small <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/in-response-to-roe-faith-driven-insurance-company-will-cover-pregnancy-and-adoption-costs-for-its-employees\/\" title=\"In Response To Roe, Faith...Driven Insurance Company Will Cover Pregnancy And Adoption Costs For Its Employees\">veteran-led<\/a> nonprofit financed<\/a> entirely by private donors,has seen a surge in requests to evacuate Americans from conflict areas in the Middle East after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran. Founder Bryan Stern says the group has received about 700\u2013800 requests since the conflict began and has helped roughly 200 people so far,mostly in Israel with some operations in the United Arab Emirates.The Middle East evacuation effort faces unique challenges, including airspace closures and damaged airports following Iranian strikes on Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha, which have also made airlines hesitant to operate. The U.S. State Department reports about 20,000 Americans have returned home since the war began,with roughly half arranging their own travel and the othre half assisted by government support. Because Grey Bull Rescue relies entirely on private donations, it cannot assist everyone who asks for help, and Stern notes his biggest fear is having to say no for financial reasons. The group,founded in 2021 after the Afghanistan withdrawal,has completed more than 800 evacuations and has even aided high-profile cases such as Venezuelan opposition leader Mar\u00eda Corina Machado.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Hundreds turn to private rescue company for Middle East evacuations<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2524149\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>A small non-profit organization that specializes in rescuing Americans in conflict zones has been flooded with requests since the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/middle-east\">Middle East<\/a> erupted following the U.S. and Israeli strikes against <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/iran\">Iran<\/a> last Saturday.<\/p>\n<p>Grey Bull Rescue &mdash; a veteran-led, donor-funded nonprofit&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/radical-islamist-preacher-slapped-with-life-in-prison-after-damning-terrorist-connection-deaths-of-very-many-people\/\" title=\"Radical Islamist Preacher Slapped with Life in Prison After Damning Terrorist Connection ... &#039;Deaths of Very Many People&#039;\">organization &#038;mdash<\/a>; has received between 700-800 requests since the start of the conflict less than a week ago, Bryan Stern, the group&rsquo;s founder and chairman, told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/premium\/4478983\/iran-ali-khamenei-democracy-transition\/\">Succession, Tehran style<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/premium\/4481383\/trump-chance-transform-middle-east\/\">Trump&rsquo;s Mideast revolution: A chance to transform the world&#8217;s most turbulent region<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4482127\/iran-spray-pray-strategy-widen-battlefield-spread-consequences\/\">Iran&#8217;s spray-and-pray strategy aims to widen the battlefield, spread consequences<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Many of those requests, he specified, are for larger groups of people, like families or religious groups that were overseas at the time the fighting commenced. They have already been able to safely help somewhere in the ballpark of 200 people.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4481654\/who-are-the-kurds-group-rumored-joining-us-war-iran\/\"><strong>WHO ARE THE KURDS, THE GROUP RUMORED TO BE JOINING THE US WAR IN IRAN?<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got more requests than we know what to do with,&rdquo; Stern said. &ldquo;Lots and lots and lots of people asking for help from all over the place.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The bulk of their missions so far have been in Israel, though they are in the middle of doing some operations in the United Arab Emirates.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">People arrive at the airport after being evacuated from the Middle East on a government flight, in Prague, Czech Republic, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (AP Photo\/Petr David Josek)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The current environment in the Middle East has unique challenges, unlike many of the other conflict zones where they&rsquo;ve evacuated Americans in need. Multiple countries in the region have shut down their airspace and some airports have been damaged due to Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks.<\/p>\n<p>Iran successfully struck airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha in retaliation for the weekend operations by the United States and Israel. Those three airports are major hubs for international travel, and the continued launch of Iranian strikes has made airlines skittish about take-off.<\/p>\n<p>The U.S. is far from the only country that is trying to gets its citizens out of the region.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Iran is directing tremendous firepower at the Gulf countries to maximize the economic cost of this war on these states,&rdquo; said Annika Ganzeveld the Middle East Portfolio Manager for the Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4478465\/trump-denies-israel-forced-us-attack-iran\/\"><strong>TRUMP DENIES ISRAEL &lsquo;FORCED&rsquo; US TO ATTACK IRAN: &lsquo;I MIGHT HAVE FORCED ISRAEL&rsquo;S HAND&rsquo;<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>That disruption, spread across massive geographic distances, has made transportation through the frantic airspace &ldquo;more complex,&rdquo; Stern said.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;In this case, there&rsquo;s like 13 countries with messed up airspace, or whatever it is,&rdquo; he added. &ldquo;So because of that, our denied area for air is so much bigger and diverse than what we&rsquo;re used to.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The State Department released evacuation data on Thursday <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4481838\/state-department-first-us-chartered-evacuation-flight-middle-east\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4481838\/state-department-first-us-chartered-evacuation-flight-middle-east\/\">indicating that 20,000 Americans<\/a> have returned home from the Middle East since the war began. Roughly half of those citizens made their own arrangements, while the other half were assisted by the State Department &mdash; whether by ground transportation to operating airports or by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/state-department-announces-first-us-chartered-evacuation-flight-from-middle-east-and-10000-aided-in-return\/\" title=\"... announces first US...chartered evacuation flight from ... and 10,000 aided in return\">logistical assistance securing seats<\/a> on a commercial plane.<\/p>\n<p>Grey Bull Rescue operates completely on private donations without any government support, which Stern said is holding them back from being able to rescue everyone who has reached out.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;How crazy is it that I can save every one of these lives, and I just need some financial help,&rdquo; he said, adding that his &ldquo;biggest fear&rdquo; is that &ldquo;people are asking me for help&rdquo; and he has to say no for &ldquo;purely financial&rdquo; reasons.<\/p>\n<p>The rescue organization initially stood up in the summer of 2021 amid the U.S. military&rsquo;s withdrawal from Afghanistan. The Taliban overthrew the U.S.-backed government in mid-August, only about two weeks before the military&rsquo;s set withdrawal date, and that prompted countless Americans to look to leave the country before it was too late.<\/p>\n<p>The U.S. military, aided by the State Department, carried out the largest noncombatant evacuation operations, helping more than 100,000 Americans or Afghan allies before the military departed for the final time.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/defense\/4480410\/us-military-strikes-iran-machinery-weaponry-used-war\/\">B-2 STEALTH BOMBERS, ONE-WAY ATTACK DRONES AND MORE: THE MACHINERY AND WEAPONS BEING USED BY US IN IRAN<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>More recently, Grey Bull Rescue was involved in helping Venezuelan opposition leader Mar&iacute;a Corina&nbsp;Machado&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3914467\/nobel-peace-prize-winner-machado-escapes-venezuela\/\">escape<\/a>&nbsp;from her home country&nbsp;in mid-December. She had spent nearly a year in hiding from the regime of Venezuelan dictator Nicol&aacute;s Maduro, whom U.S. forces captured in early January and brought back to the United States to stand trial on charges dating back to 2020.<\/p>\n<p>The group has completed more than 800 evacuations since its founding, Stern said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Grey Bull Rescue, a small veteran-led nonprofit that focuses on pulling Americans out of danger zones, has been flooded with requests as the Middle East crisis intensified after the weekend strikes on Iran. Founder and chairman Bryan Stern said the group has logged about 700\u2013800 inquiries in under a week, with many coming from larger groups like families or religious teams stranded overseas when the fighting began. To date, they\u2019ve helped around 200 people reach safety. Stern noted that the demand far exceeds their capacity, with calls coming from all over.<\/p>\n<p>Most missions so far have been in Israel, though the team is also conducting operations in the United Arab Emirates. The current environment poses unique hurdles, including closed airspace and damaged airports from Iranian missile and drone attacks. Iran retaliated by striking airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha, disrupting international travel hubs and making airlines wary of flying. The United States isn\u2019t the only country trying to evacuate its citizens; analysts say Iran is aiming to impose hefty economic costs on Gulf states, which has complicated regional airspace and logistics.<\/p>\n<p>State Department data show about 20,000 Americans have returned home since the war began, roughly half making their own arrangements and half assisted by the department, through ground transport to operating airports or help securing seats on commercial flights. Grey Bulls Rescue operates entirely on private donations, with no government backing, which Stern says limits how many people they can save. He fears having to turn people away purely for lack of funds, despite wanting to help everyone.<\/p>\n<p>The group formed in 2021 amid the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, when the Taliban took over and many Americans sought to leave. The U.S. military, with State Department aid, conducted the largest noncombatant evacuation in recent memory, helping more than 100,000 Americans or Afghan allies before the troops departed. More recently, Grey Bull Rescue helped Venezuelan opposition leader Mar\u00eda Corina Machado flee the country in December after she spent months in hiding from Nicol\u00e1s Maduro\u2019s regime; Maduro was reportedly captured by U.S. forces in January and brought to the United States to face trial on charges dating back to 2020. Since its founding, the group says it has completed more than 800 evacuations<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4065,"featured_media":2576819,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AP26064248007916.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651,538],"tags":[75218,17713,73848,73799,75217],"class_list":["post-2576818","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","category-washington-examiner","tag-crisis-response","tag-evacuation","tag-humanitarian-aid-2","tag-middle-east-2","tag-private-rescue"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AP26064248007916.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2576818","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4065"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2576818"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2576818\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2576822,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2576818\/revisions\/2576822"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2576819"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2576818"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2576818"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2576818"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}