US Urges Citizens in Middle East to Be Ready to Leave
American embassies in ten countries in the region issued an urgent security alert over possible escalation of conflict with Iran.
American embassies in ten countries in the region issued an urgent security alert over possible escalation of conflict with Iran.
American embassies across the Middle East on Saturday warned their citizens of a possible "unforeseen escalation" of the regional conflict and urged them to consider leaving or be prepared to depart the region, according to the South China Morning Post. Kurir.rs reports that the alert was posted on the websites of diplomatic missions in ten countries, including Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, with Egypt added the following day.
The announcement comes just one day after US President Donald Trump threatened Iran with a "very powerful" strike. According to Index.hr Gastro, the security alert states: "Americans in the region should consider leaving or be prepared to depart in the event of escalation." The embassies also said that "Americans currently in the Middle East should exercise extreme caution and prepare for flight cancellations, temporary airspace closures, and possible travel disruptions."
According to information reported by WarFront Witness, citing Israeli Channel 13, there is growing belief in Israel that the US and Israel are moving closer to a new military campaign against Iran. Senior officials expect that President Trump could make a decision to resume hostilities upon the return of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from Washington.
Kurir.rs further reports that sources told CBS News on Friday that the US and Israel are preparing "one of the most intense bombing campaigns to date" targeting Iran's energy infrastructure. Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell stated: "The Department of Defense is ready, prepared to execute the President's orders at any time," though he declined to comment on planned targets.
Iran responded with sharp rhetoric on Saturday. Commander of the Iranian Army's Central Headquarters, Ali Abdollahi, said in a statement read on state television: "Any country that serves as a defensive shield for the criminal and aggressive America will find itself in the fire of war," as reported by Index.hr Gastro.
Mohammad Mokhber, an advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader, also expressed concern over potential strikes on Iranian infrastructure. On platform X, he wrote: "You calculate with military equations, but we respond with the logic of history. A direct attack on Iran's infrastructure will shake the foundations upon which your 250-year-old hegemonic architecture is built."
According to Index.hr Gastro, the war between Iran and the US has been ongoing since February 28, 2026, beginning with American and Israeli strikes on Iran, to which Tehran responded with missile and drone attacks across the region. Although nightly exchanges of fire continued last month, there were no new attacks on Friday night into Saturday.
On Wednesday, a drone struck a US-flagged gas tanker anchored at a port in Egypt, causing a fire. Egyptian authorities are investigating the incident, but no one has been blamed so far. The British maritime security agency reported on Saturday that an "unknown projectile" hit a tanker near the coast of Oman. Maritime trade monitoring company Kpler said that traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has "sharply declined" and that operators are closely monitoring any events that could change the risk level on regional shipping lanes.
In Lebanon, the Israeli military announced on Saturday that it had eliminated three Hezbollah members in the south of the country, and during a direct clash, one Israeli soldier sustained minor injuries.
