CORRECTED-US helped Americans leave Israel with flights over weekend

WASHINGTON, June 23 (Reuters) - The United States helped about 100 U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents and their immediate family members leave Israel on Saturday and Sunday, a U.S. State Department official said on Monday.

The assisted departures from Israel come as tensions have risen in the Middle East, after U.S. President Donald Trump joined Israel's air war against Tehran by dropping massive bunker-buster bombs on Iranian nuclear production sites on Sunday morning. Since then, Iran has repeatedly threatened to retaliate.

Iran's military said it carried out a missile attack on the Al Udeid U.S. airbase in Qatar on Monday after explosions were heard across the Qatari capital following Tehran's threat to retaliate for U.S. airstrikes on its nuclear sites.

The State Department official said that as of Sunday, three flights had departed Israel with a total of approximately 100 U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents and their accompanying immediate family members since Washington began assisted departure flights from Israel on Saturday.

On Saturday, the State Department organized two flights departing from Tel Aviv to Athens with approximately 70 U.S. citizens, their accompanying family members, and lawful permanent residents, the official said.