Exercise heightened vigilance: US warns Americans amid Houthi attacks
The United States has issued an advisory warning Americans in the Middle East of an increased threat of attacks by Iran-backed Houthis, along with possible flight cancellations, airspace closures and travel disruptions.
“Americans currently in the Middle East should exercise heightened vigilance due to the increased threat of armed attacks by Iranian-supported Houthis and Iranian efforts to target US government officials in the region,” the State Department said.
The warning comes as the Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted and destroyed a Houthi cruise missile headed towards Riyadh on Saturday. The group has targeted Saudi energy facilities, airports and other sites as the US-Iran war has spread.
The conflict began with US and Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28. Tehran retaliated against Israel and Gulf countries hosting US bases, while fighting also broke out between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The State Department’s Saudi Arabia advisory asks Americans to reconsider travel because of missile and drone threats, armed conflict, terrorism and other risks. It advises against travel to the Yemen border region.
On October 23, the department ordered non-emergency US government employees and their family members to leave Saudi Arabia because of safety risks.
US government employees remaining in the country need special authorisation to use Saudi airports and visit certain areas. They are barred from travelling within 20 miles of the Yemen border.
The advisory warns of greater risks near military bases and energy facilities. It also cautions against photographing or filming missile interceptions and impact sites, noting that Saudi authorities have detained US citizens for doing so.
In the UAE, US government employees need special authorisation to visit military bases and critical energy infrastructure. The UAE advisory warns that hostilities could spread and flags potential threats to public places, particularly locations associated with Jewish and Israeli communities.WARNING COMES AS US, IRAN REMAIN IN CONTACT
The warning comes even as Washington and Tehran remain in contact to prevent renewed fighting.
“We’re talking to Iran,” US President Donald Trump told reporters on Friday, adding that his administration was “doing very well with Iran”. In separate remarks, he said Washington was “dealing with Iranians” and would see how the process developed.
Trump has continued to defend the war. On Wednesday, he said it had been necessary to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and that he would have done nothing differently, despite acknowledging its role in Republican losses in the US midterm elections.IRAN’S CONDITIONS REMAIN A HURDLE
A senior Iranian official told Reuters on Thursday that Tehran had sent Washington a nuclear proposal through Qatar. The official said the US was reviewing it but did not disclose details.
Iran says seven conditions must be met before negotiations proceed. These include lifting US sanctions, releasing frozen Iranian assets and paying war reparations. Its top security official, Mohsen Rezaei, said Tehran would neither reopen the Strait of Hormuz nor enter negotiations until its conditions were met.
Washington, however, wants nuclear issues included in the initial negotiations. Progress will depend on whether the two sides can agree on where to begin, as mediators work to prevent renewed fighting.- Ends
