US Plans To Evacuate Hundreds Of Thousands Americans From Mideast
By Worthy News’ George Whitten and Stefan J. Bos
WASHINGTON (Worthy News) – The United States government plans to evacuate hundreds of thousands of Americans from the Middle East amid fears that the Israel-Hamas war will escalate into a broader armed conflict, U.S. officials confirmed Tuesday.
U.S. President Joe Biden is especially worried about 600,000 Americans living in Israel and 86,000 in Lebanon, according to sources familiar with his administration’s thinking.
The Washington Post newspaper quoted an official as saying that cross-border clashes between Lebanon-based Hezbollah and Israel have become “a real issue.”
The official added that Washington is “very, very, very worried that this thing is going to get out of hand.”
Sources told The Washington Post that mass evacuations are considered “a worst-case scenario,” but one official said it would be “irresponsible not to have a plan for everything.”
Adding to anxiety are Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria sending drones and rockets at bases housing American troops after Tehran
Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian threatened Sunday that the United States would see “heavy losses” and warned Israel with a deadline to end its military actions toward Gaza.
OMINOUS THREAT
It comes after Tehran threatened the United States and Israel over the war against Hamas.
“If stopping the aggression against Gaza does not succeed, the expansion of the war fronts is not excluded, and its possibility increases every hour,” Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said. “The continued aggression and the absence of a political solution add fuel to the fire, and things may get out of control.”
However, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken told Tehran that Washington would respond ‘decisively’ to any Iranian (backed) attacks.
Blinken told the United Nations Security Council that the United States “does not seek conflict with Iran. We do not want this war to widen.” But, he warned that “if Iran or its proxies attack U.S. personnel anywhere, make no mistake: We will defend our people, we will defend our security, swiftly and decisively.”
Blinken added it was “no secret to anyone in this room, or on this council, that for years, Iran has supported Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and other groups that continue to carry out attacks on Israel.”
He noted that “Iranian leaders have routinely threatened to wipe Israel off the map. In recent weeks, Iran’s proxies have repeatedly attacked U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria…”
Since October 17, more than 10 U.S. military bases have been attacked in Syria and Iraq, highlighting concerns that more countries will be involved in the Middle East’s worst crisis in years.
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