If your account is in your name, you should just be able to submit an international wire transfer. No apps or debit cards needed. Perhaps the issue is that you were too wordy in your request, thus confusing the agent? Can't you just do this, request an international wire transfer?

If you've never had any type of account before they probably couldn't verify your identity.

This is more common with online type banks where they can't physically look at your ids so they use things like Lexis to verify what you told them. If you don't have a profile then they can't do that.