'Leave now': US State Department urges Americans to flee Middle East amid fears of even bigger strikes
The US has told its citizens to “DEPART NOW” from countries across the Middle East “due to serious safety risks” after Donald Trump warned of a “big wave” of further strikes against Iran.
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US nationals in up to 14 countries, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar, have been advised to leave as fears of further escalation grows amid the ongoing conflict with Iran.
The State Department has urged its citizens to use “available commercial transportation” as civilians scramble to leave the region - with an emergency task force set up to strengthen security at US diplomatic sites.
Citizens in Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the [occupied] West Bank and Gaza have all been urged to leave.
Those in Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, have also been told to get on flights out as strikes continue, according to State Department assistant secretary for consular affair Mora Namdar.
It comes amid reports the US embassy in Riyadh is on fire after a missile strike, according to Reuters.
Hundreds of thousands of travellers have been left stranded in the Gulf states and many still remain there after airspace over busy international airports, including Dubai and Abu Dhabi, closed while strikes rained down over the weekend.
Read more: Trump warns 'biggest strike' on Iran yet to come as he says war could last 'for weeks'
Read more: Iran war LIVE: US death toll rises to six after Trump warned that more service personnel will die
Very limited flights are now operating out of the airports. Britain's first evacuation flight from the United Arab Emirates arrived at Heathrow on Monday night, toughing down just after 7pm.
Israel has also issued evacuation orders for residents of both Iran's capital Tehran and Lebanon's capital Beirut.
Both cities have already been struck by the US-Israeli strikes, with the death toll in Lebanon at 50.
Earlier, the first UK flight to arrive from the UAE since the onset of the Iran war landed at 7.16pm, packed with relieved Brits.
An estimated 300,000 Brits are currently in the Middle East as the region faces chaos following the killing of Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday.
The flight from Abu Dhabi carrying stranded UK nationals landed at London’s Heathrow airport on Monday evening.
Etihad Airways flight EY067 arrived at Terminal 4 of the west London airport, after a delayed departure from the UAE’s capital.
US President Donald Trump warned today a “big wave” of strikes against Iran is yet to come.
“The big wave hasn’t even happened. The big one is coming soon,” he told CNN.
It comes as the death toll of US military personnel hit six on Monday.
Earlier, Mr Trump warned more US casualties were likely in the conflict.