Trump says will hit Iran ‘very hard’; US embassy urges Americans to consider leaving Middle East

At least four Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza since this morning, according to medics at hospitals in the enclave. Earlier, an Israeli air strike destroyed two warehouses storing medicines near Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir el-Balah, Gaza's Health Ministry said.

The US Department of State has issued a travel advisory for the entire Middle East, urging Americans in the region to leave if possible or be ready to do so in the event of further escalation.

“Americans in the region should consider departing, or be prepared to depart should there be escalation,” the department said in a post on X.

It also advised that “Americans outside the Middle East should seriously reconsider travel to and through the region.”

The department further warned that “Iran and groups supportive of Iran may target other US interests overseas or at locations associated with the United States and Americans throughout the world.”

The advisory follows similar warnings issued last week after US President Donald Trump threatened unprecedented strikes on Iran, although those strikes were ultimately not carried out.

At least four Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza since Saturday morning, according to medics at hospitals in the enclave.

Earlier, an Israeli airstrike destroyed two warehouses used to store medicine near Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir el-Balah, the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza said.

Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian homes in the town of Tal, southwest of Nablus, amid escalating tensions in the occupied West Bank, local media reported.

Israeli forces also raided the town of Beit Furik, east of Nablus, and carried out incursions in several neighbourhoods of el-Bireh and Ramallah. No arrests or injuries were reported in those raids.

The attacks came a day after settlers, escorted by Israeli soldiers, stormed Tal and nearby areas, injuring 11 Palestinians, including four children.

The Israeli military said its troops killed several Hezbollah fighters during an operation in the Ali Taher Ridge area near the UNESCO-listed Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon.

The army said an Israeli combat officer was moderately wounded during the operation and was evacuated to a hospital for treatment. It added that the officer's family had been notified.

An Israeli drone strike targeted the town of Nabatieh al-Fawqa in southern Lebanon, according to Al Jazeera Arabic.

The strike comes as Israeli forces continue operations in parts of southern Lebanon despite a US-brokered ceasefire. Earlier, Lebanon's National News Agency reported heightened tensions in villages near the Israeli-imposed "Yellow Zone" following a series of large overnight explosions carried out by Israeli forces.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian praised the Iranian people for enduring what he described as the US-Israeli war on the country, calling them "heroes."

In a statement posted on X, Pezeshkian said the conflict began with the assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31, 2024, during his inauguration period.

Despite enduring "wars, pressure, and relentless hostilities," Pezeshkian said, "the future of Iran will be shaped by the people of Iran."

The Israeli military and Shin Bet said they destroyed five Hamas weapon depots across the Gaza Strip overnight.

The military claimed one of the sites was located next to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir el-Balah and was used to store weapons, including assault rifles, explosive devices and anti-tank launchers.

Hospital officials and Gaza authorities disputed the claim, saying the targeted facilities were warehouses used to store medical supplies.

Iran is preparing supplies for the next two years, First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref said, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.

Aref did not specify the type of supplies but said maintaining public stability remains the government's top priority and that authorities are planning "even for the worst conditions."

An Israeli drone strike targeted the town of Nabatieh al-Fawqa in southern Lebanon, according to Al Jazeera correspondents. The strike comes as Israeli forces continue operations in parts of southern Lebanon despite a US-brokered ceasefire. Earlier, Lebanon's National News Agency reported heightened tensions across southern villages near the Israeli-imposed "Yellow Zone" after a series of large overnight explosions carried out by Israeli forces.

Two Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City's Sheikh Radwan area on Saturday, Palestinian health officials said.

The Israeli military said the strike targeted Hamas militants but did not provide further details.

In a separate strike, Israeli forces destroyed two medicine storage warehouses at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah, according to Gaza's health ministry.

US President Donald Trump has threatened further military strikes on Iran, saying the United States will continue its attacks until Tehran changes course.

Speaking to reporters during a Cabinet meeting at Camp David on Friday, Trump said the US would hit Iran "very hard" and continue military action "until they can't take it anymore."

The comments came as the White House accused Iran of violating a truce understanding by targeting commercial ships and killing American soldiers. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Iran would "continue to pay" until it returns to negotiations in what Trump considers a "meaningful way."

Israeli settlers assaulted a Palestinian couple at their farm in the village of Beitillu, northwest of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, according to the Wafa news agency.

Citing local sources, Wafa reported that the husband and wife suffered injuries and bruises in the attack by a group of settlers in the al-Zarqa area and were taken to hospital for treatment.

The incident comes after Israeli forces arrested at least seven Palestinians, including two 16-year-olds, during raids across the occupied West Bank earlier in the day.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and his Kuwaiti counterpart, Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, discussed the latest regional developments and efforts to ease tensions, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry said.

According to the ministry, the two ministers underscored the importance of continued consultation and coordination while backing diplomatic efforts aimed at de-escalation, protecting freedom of navigation, and preserving regional security and stability.

An Israeli military officer was moderately injured during operational activity in southern Lebanon and has been evacuated to a hospital for treatment, the military said.

The announcement comes as Israeli forces continue military operations in parts of southern Lebanon despite a US-brokered ceasefire. On Thursday, the Israeli military carried out a series of powerful detonations near Lebanon's UNESCO-listed Beaufort Castle.

GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi condemned what he described as Iranian attacks on civilian facilities in Kuwait, calling them a continuation of Tehran's "hostile approach" to destabilising the region. He said the attacks targeted a government facility and civilian vehicles on Bubiyan Island, describing them as a "blatant aggression" and a violation of Kuwait's sovereignty.

An explosion reported earlier in Iran's western city of Eslamabad Gharb was caused by the detonation of an old artillery shell, according to the provincial governor cited by Iran's Tasnim news agency. The official did not immediately provide further details on casualties or damage.

A Palestinian was killed in an Israeli strike on a tent near al-Sumoud School in the al-Mawasi area, north of Khan Younis, reported Al Jazeera. The latest attack follows earlier strikes that reportedly killed two people in Gaza City's Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood and another person in Deir el-Balah. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.

Gaza's Health Ministry said an Israeli strike in Deir el-Balah destroyed two medicine warehouses belonging to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital and severely damaged two others. The ministry said the attack also damaged the hospital's outpatient clinic and destroyed vital medical supplies.

Kuwait condemned what it called Iran's "continued aggression" after a drone attack targeted the country's "vital installations." The Foreign Ministry described the attack as a "flagrant violation" of Kuwait's sovereignty and said the government reserved the right to take "all necessary measures" to protect the country's security, interests and resources.

Iranian media reported an explosion in the western city of Eslamabad Gharb, with the cause and exact location still unknown. There was no immediate information on casualties or damage, and Iranian authorities have yet to comment on the incident.

The U.S. Embassy in Amman urged Americans across the Middle East to remain on heightened alert, warning that the regional security situation remains "fluid" and describing Iran's government as "unpredictable." The embassy advised U.S. citizens to prepare for possible flight cancellations and periodic airspace closures while exercising increased vigilance.

Gaza’s Health Ministry says seven Palestinians have been killed and 76 injured in Israeli attacks across the enclave over the past 48 hours, while one more person succumbed to the injuries received in a previous Israeli attack, reported Al Jazeera. According to the ministry, 1,222 Palestinians have been killed and 4,053 wounded since the so-called ceasefire took effect last year. It also said 804 bodies have been recovered from the rubble during that period.

An Israeli drone strike killed two people in Gaza City's Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood, according to the Palestinian Wafa news agency, citing al-Shifa Hospital. Several others were reported wounded in the attack. The strike came after earlier reported Israeli air raids in Gaza City and central Gaza that also left at least two people dead.

Iranian Major-General Ali Abdollahi warned that U.S. actions against Iran risk triggering a broader regional conflict. Speaking to state broadcaster IRIB, he urged regional countries to reconsider cooperation with Washington, claiming the U.S. was using their wealth and infrastructure as a "defensive shield" and warning that states serving that role could be "consumed by the flames of war."

Kuwait's army said on Saturday it had detected and destroyed hostile ⁠drones ​in the country's airspace since dawn, ​and ​that what ⁠it described as an ‌Iranian attack had targeted several vital facilities.

A government facility ⁠in ⁠northern Kuwait and civilian property ⁠belonging ‌to ​a company ‌on Bubiyan Island ‌were ​hit, ​it said, ​adding that falling shrapnel ​caused material ⁠damage but no casualties.

Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Qatar welcomed the Trump-led plan to end the Israeli-Hamas conflict in Gaza. Issuing official statement, the cheered the progress on the peace plan's implementation and urged Israeli forces' withdrawal.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia welcomed President Trump's announcement regarding the "historic agreement on the decommissioning of weapons in the Gaza Strip," commending his leadership and expressing appreciation for mediator nations including Egypt, Qatar, Turkiye, the United States, and the Board of Peace.

"The Kingdom also emphasises the importance of the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, the deployment of the International Stabilization Force, and the continued, unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance and reconstruction support to the Palestinian population," the statement shared on X read.

The Jordanian Foreign Ministry affirmed, "The Ministry emphasized the importance of implementing all agreed-upon stages within a specified time frame, in a manner that ensures their reliable and complete accomplishment. It also affirmed the necessity of the complete withdrawal of the Israeli army from the Gaza Strip, the deployment of an international stabilization force, and the guarantee of sufficient and sustainable humanitarian aid entry without obstacles."

The Qatari Foreign Ministry noted in a post on X, "His Excellency stressed the need for the international community to assume its responsibilities and pressure Israel to fulfill its obligations under the agreement and cease its ongoing violations of the rights of the Palestinian people, thus ensuring the completion of the roadmap and achieving peace and stability in the Gaza Strip."

On Saturday, the European Union naval mission ASPIDES said that a merchant vessel safely transited the Red Sea under protection of the Italian frigate Bergamini.

Passing through the Red Sea has been severely impeded in recent weeks, with Yemen's Iran-linked Houthis declaring a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia. Subsequent attacks on Saudi ships have increased risks tied to commercial traffic in the region, while triggering higher oil prices.

The Kuwaiti Army said its air defences are intercepting "hostile drone attacks." In an official statement, the Kuwaiti forces held "Iranian aggression" accountable for the attacks and warned that any potential explosion would be the result of air defence interceptions.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said that a tanker reported an explosion near Khasab, Oman. So far, the vessel hasn't reported any damage.

Amid the ongoing investigation, vessels in the area have been advised to pass through with caution and report any suspicious activity.