Major Strike Against Iran: Washington Warns Its Citizens
False alarm or calculated bluff? Several alarming statements were made Saturday evening about the imminent threat of a large-scale American attack on Iran.
The resumption of fighting in early July derailed the memorandum of understanding signed in mid-June, which was meant to pave the way for peace talks.
On Thursday, Pakistan, acting as mediator, stated that the warring parties were in negotiations aimed at de-escalation, particularly regarding the Strait of Hormuz. Iran and the United States resumed their exchanges of overnight strikes this week after several days of relative calm, but no attacks have been reported since the night of Friday to Saturday.
But faced with the stagnation of the situation, and in the absence of any genuine willingness to negotiate on Tehran's part, the Trump administration wants to put an end to a tense political and security situation whose economic consequences are being felt worldwide.
The most serious warning came from U.S. embassies in several Middle Eastern countries, which cautioned American citizens on Saturday about a possible "escalation" of the regional conflict and urged them to be prepared to leave, as President Donald Trump threatened to strike Iran with force.
According to American media outlets, Washington is considering new large-scale bombings this weekend, targeting energy infrastructure in particular, but according to U.S. network CBS, citing multiple anonymous sources, Donald Trump has not yet given the green light.
The U.S. president again threatened on Friday to strike Iran "very hard," as the country, since hostilities resumed in early July, has resumed targeting Washington's allied nations and American installations in the region.
The alerts directed at U.S. nationals — versions of which were posted Saturday on the social media accounts of embassies in Amman, Abu Dhabi, Jerusalem, Muscat, Kuwait, Baghdad, Riyadh, Doha, and Beirut — urge American citizens to check information regarding their flights and to follow local authorities' security guidelines.
"Americans in the Middle East should currently exercise caution and heightened vigilance, and prepare for possible flight cancellations, periodic airspace closures, and potential travel disruptions," the alert states.
In Lebanon, non-essential embassy staff have been relocated.
"The Iranian regime is unpredictable, as demonstrated by its recent decisions to attack areas of the region without warning or provocation, as well as to extend its attacks to areas that had not previously been targeted (such as Egypt)," reads a message posted on embassy websites.
On Wednesday, a drone struck a gas tanker owned by an American company while it was docked at an Egyptian port. Egypt is conducting an investigation but has, at this stage, not accused any group of being responsible for the attack.
The Iranian military, for its part, accused Washington of "stoking tensions" in the region and warned: "Any country serving as a defensive shield for criminal and aggressive America will be engulfed in the flames of war."