US evacuation plan for Americans in Israel underway as Iran-Israel conflict enters day 6

The US government is organising evacuation flights and cruise ship departures for American citizens wishing to leave Israel, US Ambassador Mike Huckabee said on Wednesday (June 18), amid fears of further military escalation between Israel and Iran.

"Urgent notice! American citizens wanting to leave Israel- US Embassy in Israel @usembassyjlm is working on evacuation flights & cruise ship departures. You must enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) (https://mytravel.state.gov/s/step) You will be alerted w/ updates."

he announcement comes as Iran continues to launch missiles into Israeli territory, pushing the region deeper into crisis.

Sixth day of hostilities: Hypersonic missiles and Haifa threats

Iran launched a fresh wave of attacks on Wednesday, including hypersonic missiles that state TV claimed had “successfully penetrated the Israeli regime’s defenses.” Iran also issued an evacuation warning for the residents of Haifa, saying the area was a target for imminent military operations.

“Please leave the reported area immediately—in the next few hours, armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will operate in this area,” Iranian state television broadcasted, showing a map of Haifa.

Trump hints at US strike

US President Donald Trump declined to confirm whether the United States would strike Iran, stating ambiguously: "I may do it, I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I’m going to do.”

The President added, “Nothing’s too late. Iran’s got a lot of trouble... The next week is going to be very big—maybe less than a week.”

Trump’s rhetoric has shifted from initially suggesting diplomacy to now weighing direct US involvement.

“They’re getting the hell beaten out of them by Israel,” he said of Iran. “There’s a big difference between now and a week ago.”

Pentagon prepares options

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that the Pentagon is preparing a range of military options for the President. And, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned the US would face “irreparable damage” if it proceeds with an attack.

Khamenei also responded to Trump’s call for unconditional surrender: “The Iranian nation isn’t frightened by such threats,” he said on state TV.

Trump: 'We know where Khamenei is — Not taking him out, for now'

Trump said on Tuesday by revealing US intelligence knows Khamenei’s location but stated: “We are not going to take him out—at least not for now.”