The State Department says it’s aware of 36,000 Americans who have returned to the U.S. from the Middle East via commercial and charter travel options since Feb. 28.

Assistant Secretary Dylan Johnson said that while the department has carried out over two dozen charter flights and that its evacuation operations continue, “most” Americans who had asked for help were now declining assistance and the availability of seats on charters has outpaced demand.

The State Department also said its 24/7 task force had provided some level of assistance to over 23,000 Americans abroad.

-ABC News’ Shannon Kingston

President Donald Trump told the New York Post on Monday that he was “nowhere near” a decision on potential ground operations in Iran.

“We haven’t made any decision on that. We’re nowhere near it,” Trump said.

Trump also reiterated to the Post that he was “not happy” with the newly selected Supreme Leader of Iran, Mojtaba Khamenei.

Asked what his plans were for Iran’s new leader, Trump told the Post, “Not going to tell you. I’m not happy with him,” he said.

Trump also waived off concerns about spiking oil prices.
“I have a plan for everything, okay?” Trump said in the interview.

“I have a plan for everything. You’ll be very happy,” he said.

-ABC News’ Nicholas Kerr

French President Emmanuel Macron said he’s working with partners to prepare a "purely defensive" mission to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by escorting ships, once the "most intense phase of the conflict" in the Middle East has passed.

France is deploying eight warships, two amphibious helicopter carriers and the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier to the eastern Mediterranean, the Red Sea and off the coast of Hormuz.

Macron said a coalition of partners -- coordinated by and headquartered in Greece -- had already been formed.

“We are in the process of setting up ...a purely defensive, purely escort mission, which must be prepared together with both European and non-European states, and whose purpose is to enable, as soon as possible after the most intense phase of the conflict has ended, the escort of container ships and tankers to gradually reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which is essential to international trade, but also to the circulation of gas and oil which must be able to be transported out of this region again,” Macron said.

Ali Larijani, head of Iran's supreme national security council, said in a post on X on Monday that it's "unlikely any security will be achieved in the Strait of Hormuz amid the fires of war ignited by the United States and Israel."

Larijani also implied that France has been supporting the war and "contributing to fanning it."

-ABC News’ Tom Soufi Burridge

At an event honoring wrongful detainees and hostages, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday that Iran’s retaliation laid bare the threat it poses to countries near and far.

"They are trying to hold the world hostage. They are attacking their neighbors. They are attacking neighboring countries, their energy infrastructure, their civilian population, they're attacking embassies,” he said. "This is a terrorist government. This is a terroristic regime.”

He also offered a moment of silence for the seven killed Americans.

“We all are all in awe of their service, of their bravery, of their courage, and our hearts and our support extend out to their families in this very difficult moment, and the families of these incredible heroes,” he said.

-ABC News’ Shannon Kingston