U.S. citizens in ten Middle Eastern countries have been advised to prepare for potential departure as tensions with Iran escalate, following President Donald Trump's warning of possible fresh strikes.
U.S. Embassies across the region issued security alerts advising travelers to exercise heightened vigilance and be prepared for flight cancellations and airspace closures. The warning, initially covering nine nations, was extended to include Egypt. Americans in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Iraq, Jordan, Israel, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Egypt were urged to "consider departing or be prepared to depart should there be escalation."
The alerts were issued hours after President Trump indicated further military action against Iran. "We'll be hitting them very hard," Trump stated during a televised Cabinet meeting at Camp David, adding, "at some point, they're going to say, 'We just can't take it anymore.'"
Sources told CBS News that the U.S. and Israel were preparing what was described as "one of the harshest bombing campaigns to date" targeting Iran's energy infrastructure, with potential strikes starting as soon as the weekend. Israel had been notified and was coordinating with Washington, though an Israeli official stated they were unaware of any decision to restart full military operations or had been asked to join any action. The Pentagon confirmed its readiness to execute the President's directives without commenting on specific targets.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt accused Tehran of violating a recent truce agreement by attacking commercial ships and killing American soldiers. "President Trump is not going to stand by and allow this terrorist behavior to occur," Leavitt said. "Iran will continue to pay until they come to the table in, what President Trump deems, a meaningful way."
Leavitt also stated, "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."
An Iranian security official vowed that Tehran possesses the capacity and will to retaliate against any U.S. and Israeli strikes, claiming that "comprehensive" response plans were prepared. These plans reportedly include strikes on the "vital infrastructure of the Zionist regime and U.S. energy infrastructure in the region."
Early Saturday morning, Iran's military accused the U.S. of escalating tensions and warned regional countries against cooperating with Washington. Iran launched drone attacks on Kuwait, which hosts U.S. forces, and claimed to have struck oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. Kuwait's military reported intercepting and destroying hostile drones.
In Gaza, Israeli strikes damaged medical warehouses at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, destroying vital medical supplies and leveling a surrounding displacement camp. The territory's health ministry described the attack as "a direct assault on one of the last remaining lifelines of healthcare."
President Trump had previously vowed on social media to bomb and destroy an Iranian bridge or power plant for every attack on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. has reportedly already struck bridges with both military and civilian uses during the conflict.