U.S. embassies across ten Middle Eastern countries issued urgent security alerts on Saturday, advising American citizens to be prepared to evacuate due to escalating tensions with Iran. The alerts urge U.S. nationals in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Iraq, Jordan, Israel, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Egypt to "consider departing or be ready to depart if there is an escalation."
The warnings come just hours after President Donald Trump indicated that fresh strikes against Iran could be imminent, stating, "We'll be hitting them very hard." The Department of Defense confirmed that its forces are "locked and loaded, ready to execute the President's directives at a moment's notice," though officials declined to comment on specific targets.
Sources told CBS News on Friday that the U.S. and Israel were preparing a significant bombing campaign against Iran's energy infrastructure, with potential strikes beginning as early as the weekend. Israel has reportedly been notified and is coordinating with Washington, though an Israeli official stated they were unaware of any decision to restart full military operations or any request to join action against Iran.
President Trump signaled the possibility of new strikes during a televised Cabinet meeting on Friday, saying, "at some point, they're going to say, 'We just can't take it anymore.'" When asked about diplomacy, he responded, "I think we just want to win."
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt accused Tehran of violating a truce agreement forged last month, claiming Iran "broke it, shot at commercial ships and killed American soldiers." She stated that President Trump "is not going to stand by and allow this terrorist behavior to occur" and that "Iran will continue to pay until they come to the table in, what President Trump deems, a meaningful way."
Leavitt also asserted that under President Trump's leadership, "the United States will win, and Iran will not have a nuclear weapon."
An Iranian security official countered that Tehran possesses the "capacity and the will" to retaliate against any U.S. and Israeli strikes, claiming that "extensive response plans" are prepared. This official described potential U.S.-Israeli attacks as "recklessness" and stated the retaliatory plan includes strikes on "the vital infrastructure of the Zionist regime and US energy infrastructure in the region."
Iran's military accused the U.S. on Saturday morning of "escalating tensions" in the Middle East and warned regional countries against cooperating with Washington. Ali Abdollahi, head of Iran's military central command, stated, "Any country serving as defensive shield for criminal and aggressive America will be engulfed by the flames of war."