US warns citizens to get ‘ready’ to flee Middle East NOW as Trump threatens major Iran blitz

THE US has warned its citizens to flee the Middle East now after Donald Trump vowed to hit Iran “very hard”. Tehran has issued more threats to Gulf countries hosting American military bases as the war continues to spiral back out of control. The US has warned its citizens to flee the Middle East ahead of a renewed bombing campaign Credit: Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images Donald Trump said the US will be ‘hitting Iran very hard’ Credit: Getty The US State Department’s warning covers 10 countries in the region: the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Israel, Oman, Qatar, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain and Egypt. Americans have been told to “exercise heightened vigilance” and “be prepared to depart should there be escalation”. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! They have also been warned about “flight cancellations, periodic airspace closures, and potential travel disruptions”. The alert continued: “The Iranian regime is unpredictable, as seen by its recent decisions to attack areas in the region without warning or to expand attacks to areas not previously targeted (such as Egypt).” The US military has relaunched strikes against the regime after a fragile ceasefire collapsed Credit: AFP It has repeatedly attacked Iranian energy infrastructure across the war Credit: AFP It comes after sources told CBS News that the US and Israel are gearing up for “one of the harshest bombing campaigns to date” against Iran‘s power grid. Trump is yet to give the final go ahead, but insiders suggested that strikes could begin this weekend. Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said: “The Department of War is locked and loaded, ready to execute the President’s directives at a moment’s notice.” The US has repeatedly targeted Iran‘s energy infrastructure across the was in a bid to cripple the regime’s ability to prop up its ravaged military. Most read in The Sun Tehran has been devastated by US-Israeli attacks Credit: Getty US Central Command released footage of it striking key Iranian bases earlier this week Credit: X Trump will be hoping to finally break Tehran’s resolve after months under the cosh. He predicted that if the US hit Iran hard enough, the hard-line regime would eventually “peter out”. The president signalled the fresh strikes during a televised Cabinet meeting 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.'” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt accused the regime of violating the memorandum of understanding (MOU) by brazenly attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz and killing US troops. She said: “President Trump is not going to stand by and allow this terrorist behavior to occur. “Iran will continue to pay until they come to the table in, what President Trump deems, a meaningful way.” Israel has been informed of the plans, with the two allies now coordinating what sources say could become one of the harshest bombing campaigns of the conflict. Iranian state media, quoting a senior official, said any potential US-Israeli attacks would be considered “a form of recklessness”. Iran has prepared a comprehensive to plan to respond, including strikes on critical infrastructure, it said. It comes after Trump said earlier this week that “very friendly negotiations” were underway, allowing for a pause in military operations. Since then, Iran launched a surprise volley of ballistic missiles on troops in Jordan on Tuesday. In a show of strength, the US swiftly retaliated with a bombardment of its own on the embattled regime. Washington struck “dozens” of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targets, “including military command centers, missile and drone facilities, coastal surveillance and defense sites, and maritime capabilities”. The strikes aimed to “further diminish threats posed by Iran and its proxies to American forces, commercial shipping, and neighbouring Gulf countries”, Centcom said. Three people including a child were reportedly killed in attacks on the island of Qeshm – Tehran’s key oil export hub, according to state media. For weeks, Donald Trump has reportedly been telling aides behind closed doors that the Iranians are “crazy”, according to US officials. He has also complained the interim peace deal was ultimately meaningless, insisting he believed it was always doomed to fail. Trump’s frustration was plain to see during a meeting at Camp David, where the president branded Iranian diplomats “very dishonourable” to deal with. He also insisted more devastating military strikes were needed to finally break Tehran’s resolve. Trump said: “Well, they always want to talk, but they break their words so often. All they do is make me angry.” Iranian diplomats have also expressed exhaustion at the number of times negotiations have broken down with the US. As the bitter conflict enters its sixth month, neither side appears any closer to giving into demands. The US continues to insist Iran relinquishes its nuclear program and abandon its control of the Strait of Hormuz, with Iran digging its heels in on both issues. Comment now