Alex Bruesewitz, an adviser to President Trump, is recounting what he called an “utterly surreal” escape from the Middle East after joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran triggered retaliatory attacks across the region.
Bruesewitz said he was in Doha, Qatar, “just as the Iranian attacks erupted, leaving me stranded amid the chaos,” according to a Monday post on X that included video footage he recorded of Iranian rockets streaking across the sky above Qatar. He said he, Qatari lobbyist Jay Footlik and TikToker Sarah Gaither were scrambling to find a way home.
“The past 72 hours have been utterly surreal, like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. Iranian missiles were flying directly over my head,” Bruesewitz wrote.
In an interview with Politico, Bruesewitz said he sought “refuge in Qatar” and reached out to Qatari, Saudi, U.S. and White House officials for assistance. Those he contacted included White House deputy chief of staff James Blair and Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.).
Luna wrote on X that she was “actively coordinating with the Trump administration” and with Gulf embassies to help evacuate U.S. citizens from the region, “including my close friend and a dear friend of President Trump, @alexbruesewitz.”
Bruesewitz expressed gratitude to Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and his government for their “unparalleled” care and “exceptional assistance and wavering commitment to my safety during my time in Doha.”
“Second, a heartfelt thank you to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for providing top-tier security during my time there, and for ensuring that the other Americans and I could safely board our flight and depart the Gulf without incident,” he wrote. “It was also remarkable to witness the Qataris and Saudies collaborating seamlessly to protect American lives, they are both incredible allies.”
He also thanked U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle “and her great staff on the ground for ensuring that our flight was able to successfully land in Athens on such short notice.”
Bruesewitz said he has since arrived in Europe “and will be home soon.”
The U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran on Saturday, which killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, prompted a wave of retaliatory Iranian attacks targeting several Gulf allies. In response, the U.S. government ordered American citizens across the Middle East to depart immediately, citing reports that Iran had struck U.S. embassies in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
The State Department has instructed Americans to leave Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen due to “serious safety risks.”
