The U.S. government advises American citizens in the Middle East to prepare for evacuation.

On August 1 local time, the U.S. State Department issued a broad security warning to American citizens in the Middle East, advising them to "consider leaving the area or prepare to evacuate quickly in case of an escalation." According to previous reports, U.S. officials revealed that Washington is considering launching a new round of military strikes against Iran as early as this weekend. Meanwhile, Iran has also stated that it will further target countries that allow U.S. troops to be stationed at military bases.