- 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).'
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 comm
