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5 US service members, 2 contractors injured in rocket attack at al-Asad air base: defense official

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5 US service members, 2 contractors injured in rocket attack at al-Asad air base: defense official

Five U.S. service members and two U.S. contractors were injured Monday afternoon when two rockets struck Ain al-Asad Airbase in Iraq, a U.S. defense official told Fox News on Tuesday.

Five of the injured personnel were being treated at Ain al-Asad Airbase, while two others have been evacuated for further care, the defense official said, adding that all seven of the injured U.S. personnel were in stable condition.

“Post-strike assessments are still ongoing,” the official said. “We’ll continue to provide updates as they become available.”

Earlier Monday, Iraqi security officials confirmed the attack, but no group has claimed responsibility. The attack comes amid a recent uptick in strikes on American forces by Iranian-backed militias.

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Five U.S. service members and two U.S. contractors were injured Monday in a rocket attack on Ain al-Asad military airbase in Iraq, a U.S. defense official said. (AYMAN HENNA/AFP via Getty Images, File)

Hours after the attack, President Biden said on X that he and Vice President Kamala Harris were briefed about “developments in the Middle East,” on Monday.

“We received updates on threats posed by Iran and its proxies, diplomatic efforts to de-escalate regional tensions, and preparations to support Israel should it be attacked again,” the post read. “We also discussed the steps we are taking to defend our forces and respond to any attack against our personnel in a manner and place of our choosing.”

Ain al-Asad airbase is located in the Anbar province in Iraq. (Reuters/Thaier Al-Sudani, File)

Tensions in the Middle East have escalated in recent weeks as the Israel-Hamas war rages on.

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The assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last week ratcheted up tensions in the Middle East further. Israel has not come out publicly to claim responsibility for the killing, but Iran and Hamas are accusing the Jewish state of being behind it.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has vowed to avenge the death of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated in Tehran last week. (Getty Images, File)

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Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has vowed to avenge the death of Haniyeh, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Israel remains ready for any scenario.

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Fox News’ Andrea Vacchiano and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Private flights account for 30% of departures from Oman airport as wealthy evacuate Middle East

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Private flights account for 30% of departures from Oman airport as wealthy evacuate Middle East

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Long border crossings, SUV convoys and six-figure jet charters have become the new escape route out of the Middle East as Operation Epic Fury intensifies, with private flights now accounting for nearly a third of all departures from Oman’s main airport.

FlightRadar24, a real-time flight tracking platform, reported that while Oman continues to be a “vital” hub for evacuation and repatriation flights, private flights accounted for 31% of operations Wednesday at Muscat International Airport.

As of Thursday afternoon, the platform reported more than 30% of all movements at the airport were private flights.

Semafor reported earlier this week that airports in Oman and Saudi Arabia were drawing ultra-wealthy travelers looking to leave the countries.

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Oman continues to be a “vital” hub for evacuation flights at its Muscat International Airport. (Christopher Pike/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

People familiar with the matter told the outlet that private security companies have been booking fleets of SUVs to take people on the 10-hour drive from Dubai to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where private flights are available. 

The clientele evacuating the region are a mix of senior executives at global finance firms and wealthy travelers in the region for business or vacation, according to Semafor.

LIV golfer Jon Rahm, a two-time major winner, was just one of the wealthy who arranged flights amid the turmoil.

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Rahm arranged a charter flight through his partnership with VistaJet, a private aviation company, to fly the seven stranded LIV golfers and a caddie from Oman to Hong Kong after their flights were canceled.

After a more than four-hour drive to Oman, the crew flew to Hong Kong.

A spokesperson for Air Charter Service, a company that acts as a global broker for private jets and freight transport, told FOX Business the company has arranged more than 10 evacuation flights, with more scheduled, mainly out of Oman with passengers looking to flee Dubai.

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FlightRadar24 shared flights flying in and out of Muscat airport. (@Flightradar24 via X)

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“We evacuated some of our own staff who were just visiting the region, and we arranged transport via the Hatta crossing into Oman from the UAE to get them to Muscat from where they flew out of the region,” the spokesperson said. “The border crossing time at Hatta took around 3–4 hours, as of Sunday, but I suspect this has increased now, as more people look at this option.”

Light flight jet trips from Muscat, Oman, to Istanbul, Turkey, are reportedly going for more than $93,000, according to Forbes, which said the price was about double the usual rate. 

The outlet added the same route on heavy jets can cost up to $140,000.

AMERICANS IN MORE THAN A DOZEN MIDDLE EAST NATIONS URGED TO FLEE

This map shows the targets of Iran’s retaliatory strikes. (Fox News)

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The U.S. and Israel launched attacks on Iran Saturday, triggering retaliatory attacks targeting countries in the region that host U.S. interests. 

Mora Namdar, Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs, advised U.S. citizens to leave Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

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The limited number of available aircraft has pushed up prices, as citizens and travelers attempt to flee.

Fox News Digital’s Ryan Morik and Ashley Carnahan contributed to this report.

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Fact check: Did French border guards mock influencers returning from Dubai amid Iran war?

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Exclusive: Article Five not on the table despite Iran missile incident, NATO's Rutte says

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