Washington issues "global warning" to its citizens over Middle East escalation
The United States has issued a warning urging U.S. citizens around the world to "exercise caution and vigilance" over the war with Iran, according to a State Department statement.
"Due to the escalation of tensions in the Middle East, the security environment remains complex, with the potential for an unexpected escalation," the State Department statement said.
The State Department warned of an increasing likelihood of attacks targeting U.S. diplomatic facilities "or sites associated with the United States and Americans around the world."
The State Department called on Americans in the Middle East to be vigilant and prepare for the possibility of flight cancellations, periodic airspace closures in several countries, and travel disruptions.
She also urged Americans outside the Middle East to reconsider traveling to or transiting through the region, and to follow the alerts of embassies, consulates, and local authorities and news developments.
The State Department noted that U.S. diplomatic facilities, including those outside the Middle East, have been targeted, warning that Iran and its backers may target other U.S. interests abroad.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) had earlier announced that it had launched a new round of air strikes on Iran for the 10th night in a row, with the aim of weakening Iran's military capabilities used to attack commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump threatens Iran
US President Donald Trump said in his latest remarks that Iran will pay for its killing of US soldiers, stressing that the death toll of the US military in the war on Iran has risen to 17 in the past few days.
Trump confirmed that he had informed Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Chief of Staff Daniel Keane of the directive, threatening to expand the range of targets to include power plants and bridges, send ground troops to Kharj Island and bomb the "Axe Mountain" nuclear site.
Houthi escalation and threat to navigation
The Houthi forces Ansar Allah in Yemen announced the expansion of the scope of their naval operations to include ships linked to Saudi ports in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb.
The Houthis in Yemen have announced the imposition of a "naval blockade" on Saudi Arabia, with the Iran-backed group's military spokesman saying the blockade will begin immediately, and that it comes in response to the Saudi blockade of ports and airports in Houthi-controlled northwest Yemen.
The spokesman did not provide many details about the blockade, but a Houthi media official said the group would close the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the southern entrance to the Red Sea, to Saudi ships.
In turn, Saudi Arabia, through the spokesman of the "Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen", Turki al-Maliki, said that the Joint Forces Command has begun implementing measures to protect coalition ships as they cross the Bab al-Mandab Strait, in accordance with international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Al-Maliki described the Houthis' accusations of closing Yemeni ports and airports as "misleading", and said that more than 300 commercial ships entered the ports of Hodeidah, Saleef and Ras Issa during the first half of 2026, loaded with food, goods, fuel and construction materials.
Maliki blamed the Houthis for the suspension of Sanaa International Airport and the destruction of Yemeni Airways planes, accusing the group of rejecting initiatives to resume flights to and from the airport.
The coalition will respond "firmly and forcefully" to any Houthi threat to ships in transit, he said, adding that these threats violate international law and fall within the scope of maritime piracy.
The Red Sea gained vital importance for Saudi oil shipments during the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, which led to the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf.
This comes a week after the most serious escalation in the conflict between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia, since an informal truce came into effect in 2022.
The sources explained that international forces and naval coalitions continue to deploy to protect shipping lanes, noting that coalition operations have succeeded in undermining the Houthis' military capabilities and inflicting losses on their infrastructure despite their continued threats.
Yemen's Undersecretary of Justice Faisal al-Majeedi said the timing of the Houthi escalation was linked to the escalating confrontation between the United States and Iran to expand the pressure fields, citing reports of an Iranian request to close the Red Sea if its infrastructure was hit by additional strikes. The group is trying to escape its internal crises and the deterioration of services in areas under its control, al-Majidi said.
The sources said that the escalation of attacks and mutual blows is keeping the chances of a political settlement in the region away, noting that Qatar has submitted a complaint to the Security Council regarding Iranian aggressions while stressing its right to respond.