The US government has urged Americans across the Middle East to stay alert and be ready to leave the region “should there be escalation,” as reports in US media suggested President Donald Trump may be planning new strikes on Iran over the weekend. US embassies across the region, including the mission in Iraq, reposted the security alert for American nationals warning of “unexpected escalation”.
The State Department said US diplomatic facilities, including those outside the Middle East, had been targeted and warned that Iran and groups supportive of Iran may target other US interests overseas or locations associated with the United States and Americans around the world. Tehran earlier accused the US of escalating tensions, saying any regional state co-operating with Washington would be “engulfed by the flames of war”.
Americans currently in the Middle East were told to exercise caution, heighten vigilance and be prepared for flight cancellations, periodic airspace closures and possible travel disruptions. Those in the region were told to consider departing, or to be prepared to leave if the situation escalates, while Americans outside the Middle East were advised to seriously reconsider travel to and through the region.
The alert was reposted by US embassies in Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. All of them warned of “unexpected escalation” for American nationals as regional tensions rose.
US media earlier quoted officials as saying Trump could order fresh strikes against Iran as soon as this weekend. Multiple sources told CBS News, the BBC’s media partner in America, that the US and Israel were planning what would be one of the harshest bombing campaigns to date against energy infrastructure targets in Iran.
CBS News said the plan was raised during Trump’s cabinet meeting on Friday, according to sources briefed later. One source said some White House aides who focus on politics were strongly opposed to the idea. During the meeting, Trump was heard saying while reporters were still in the room:
“We'll be hitting them [Iranians] very hard. At some point, they're going to say, 'We just can't take it anymore.'”
On Thursday, the US military said it had completed a “heavy wave” of strikes against Iran in retaliation for Tuesday’s attempted ballistic missile attacks on American forces. US Central Command, or Centcom, said it hit “dozens” of targets linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, in response to Tehran’s firing on US bases in Jordan and at ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian state media said three people, including a two-year-old child, were killed in the US strikes. The conflict expanded this week after a number of days of relative calm, with the first publicly announced joint US-Saudi strikes targeting Iranian proxies in Iraq.
Washington and Tehran have been carrying out escalating strikes and counter-strikes since a ceasefire in April, intended to pause the months-long war, fell apart in June. The US has blockaded Iranian ports and bombed Iranian sites, while Iran has fired missiles and drones at US assets in countries across the Middle East and targeted shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a global oil shipping route.
The US and Israel began launching their strikes against Iran on 28 February.
How did the US warning change travel advice?
The warning made clear that Americans in the Middle East should expect possible disruptions to travel and transport. It said flight cancellations and periodic airspace closures could occur, and advised Americans in the region to consider leaving or to be prepared to leave if there is further escalation.
What did the State Department say about wider risks?
The State Department said Iranian forces or groups supportive of Iran may target US interests beyond the region as well. It specifically warned that US diplomatic facilities, including those outside the Middle East, had already been targeted.
How does this fit into the wider conflict?
The warning came amid a sharp rise in hostilities between Washington and Tehran, with reports that Trump could authorise further strikes on Iran. That follows a series of exchanges that have included US strikes, Iranian missile and drone attacks, and attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
The conflict also widened this week after a period of relative calm, including the first publicly announced joint US-Saudi strikes on Iranian proxies in Iraq. The latest developments add to a cycle of retaliation that has continued since the ceasefire in April broke down in June.
Key Facts
- The US urged Americans across the Middle East to be alert and ready to leave if tensions escalate.
- US embassies in Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE reposted the alert.
- The State Department warned of possible flight cancellations, airspace closures and wider travel disruptions.
- US media reported Trump may be planning fresh strikes on Iran over the weekend.
- Centcom said it carried out a “heavy wave” of strikes against “dozens” of IRGC targets on Thursday.
