Americans have been told to be ‘ready’ to flee ten Middle Eastern countries as the Iran war spirals, with President Trump warning: ‘We’ll be hitting them very hard.’
The US Embassy has urgently advised US citizens across the Middle East to ‘consider departing or be ready to depart if there is an escalation,’ just hours after Trump signaled fresh strikes on Iran could come as soon as this weekend.
The warning now covers 10 countries: the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Oman, Iraq, Jordan, Israel, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and, most recently, Egypt.
‘US Embassies across the Middle East have issued security alerts today advising travelers to exercise heightened vigilance and be prepared for flight cancellations and airspace closures,’ the initial alert said.
Less than an hour later, a second alert announced that the warning had also been issued by the US Embassy in Cairo, Egypt.
For the first time, the warning told Americans in the region they should ‘consider departing, or be prepared to depart should there be escalation,’ bringing the guidance in line with other Middle Eastern countries.
‘The situation in the Middle East remains fluid,’ the alert read.
‘The Iranian regime is unpredictable, as seen by its recent decisions to attack areas in the region without warning or provocations as well as to expand attacks to areas not previously targeted (such as Egypt).’
The US Embassy has urgently advised US citizens across ten Middle Eastern countries on Saturday morning to ‘consider departing or be ready to depart if there is an escalation’
The alert comes hours after President Donald Trump signaled fresh strikes on Iran, warning: ‘We’ll be hitting them very hard’
It comes after sources told CBS News on Friday that the US and Israel are preparing what was described as ‘one of the harshest bombing campaigns to date’ against Iran’s energy infrastructure.
While the president has not yet given the final green light, several insiders told the outlet that strikes could begin as soon as this weekend, with Israel already notified and coordinating with Washington.
‘The Department of War is locked and loaded, ready to execute the President’s directives at a moment’s notice,’ Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement, though refused to comment on intended targets.
Meanwhile, an Israeli official told the outlet: ‘Israel is unaware of any decision to restart full military operations, nor has Israel been asked to join any military action against Iran.’
A former US military official told CBS News that striking Iran’s energy infrastructure would aim to cripple the regime’s ability to support its military, provide services and maintain control.
Trump signaled the threat of fresh strikes during a televised Cabinet meeting at Camp David on Friday, declaring: ‘We will be hitting them very hard and, at some point, they’re going to say, “We just can’t take it anymore.”‘
Asked about the possibility of reviving diplomacy, the president told reporters: ‘I think we just want to win.’
His comments come as the US demands Tehran reopen the Strait of Hormuz and honor a truce agreement that was forged last month but quickly fell apart.
Trump’s comments come as the US demands Tehran reopen the Strait of Hormuz and honor a truce agreement that was forged last month but quickly fell apart
During a televised Cabinet meeting at Camp David on Friday, Trump signaled the threat of fresh strikes and said, ‘at some point, they’re going to say, “We just can’t take it anymore”‘
After the Cabinet meeting, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt accused Tehran of violating a truce memorandum of understanding with the US, claiming it ‘broke it, shot at commercial ships and killed American soldiers.’
‘President Trump is not going to stand by and allow this terrorist behavior to occur,’ she said Friday evening. ‘Iran will continue to pay until they come to the table in, what President Trump deems, a meaningful way.’
In a separate statement to CBS News, Leavitt said: ‘As President Trump said at his cabinet meeting today, the United States will win, and Iran will not have a nuclear weapon under his watch.’
A joint operation would see Israel return to the battlefield after pausing its attacks under the US-brokered truce. Iran has not struck Israel since the agreement fell apart and Washington restarted combat operations in early July.
A senior Iranian security official vowed Tehran has ‘the capacity and the will’ to retaliate against any US and Israeli strikes, claiming ‘extensive response plans’ are already prepared.
The unnamed official told Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency that potential US-Israeli attacks would amount to a ‘form of recklessness’ on their part.
The Iranian official claimed the ‘comprehensive’ plan includes strikes on ‘the vital infrastructure of the Zionist regime and US energy infrastructure in the region.’
‘We are fully prepared to carry it out,’ the official added.
Early Saturday morning, Iran’s military accused the US of ‘escalating tensions’ in the Middle East and warned countries in the region against cooperating with Washington.
‘The United States is rapidly moving down the path of escalating tensions in the region,’ said Ali Abdollahi, head of Iran’s military central command, according to CBS.
‘Any country serving as defensive shield for criminal and aggressive America will be engulfed by the flames of war,’ he added.
