State Department Briefing, June 20, 2025: Israel-Iran Departure Guidance and Congo-Rwanda Peace Signing

Name: "State Department Briefing, June 20, 2025: Israel-Iran Departure Guidance and Congo-Rwanda Peace Signing"
Uploaded: 2025-06-20
Duration: 30 min 4 s
Description: "Spokesperson Tammy Bruce led the June 20, 2025 State Department briefing, urging Americans to enroll in STEP amid the Israel-Iran crisis, noting help given to over 25,000 people, and announcing Secretary Rubio would witness the Congo-Rwanda peace agreement signing on June 27, in the department's upload."

June 20, 2025 · U.S. Department of State · 0:30:04

Embedded from the source channel — never re-uploaded. Watch on YouTube

What happened

Spokesperson Tammy Bruce led the Department of State press briefing on June 20, 2025, according to the department’s upload, which noted the start was delayed while President Trump left the White House by helicopter.

Bruce said the department has no higher priority than the safety and security of Americans. She urged all American travelers to sign up for the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, known as STEP, to monitor travel.state.gov, and for Americans overseas needing assistance to contact their nearest embassy or consulate or call +1 202-501-4444, as she stated the number. She described a new crisis intake form under the banner at travel.state.gov, with departure information for U.S. citizens in Israel and the West Bank and registration for citizens in Iran, while saying the department does not anticipate offering direct U.S. government-assisted departure from Iran and Americans there should use existing means to leave, as she stated the guidance. She said the department had provided information and support to over 25,000 people seeking guidance on the situation in Israel, the West Bank and Iran, as she stated the figure.

Bruce reiterated President Trump’s statement, delivered the prior day by Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, that based on a substantial chance of negotiations he would make his decision on whether or not to go within the next two weeks, as she quoted it.

Bruce also announced that after three days of talks, technical teams from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda had initialed the text of a peace agreement the prior Wednesday, and that on Friday, June 27, Secretary of State Marco Rubio would witness the ministerial signing of that agreement at the State Department, led by the two countries’ foreign ministers — a milestone step toward peace in the region, as she described it.

Why it matters

The briefing pairs citizen-protection guidance during an active Israel-Iran crisis with a dated diplomatic milestone: the Congo-Rwanda signing Rubio would witness a week later.

Sources: U.S. Department of State, “Department of State Press Briefing - June 20, 2025”, 2025-06-20 (official upload, embedded above; published 2025-06-20). Transcript via Supadata (private research store, paraphrased and attributed, not republished). All figures and characterizations as stated by the speakers.