Embassies in the Middle East - and broadly the State Department - have issued warnings that the Iran and Yemen conflicts may soon escalate unpredictably, including a blanket new travel alert covering for no less than a dozen regional countries.
More missiles were launched on Saudi Arabia Monday: "Yemen’s Houthis said on Monday they carried out attacks on Saudi energy, airport, and military targets including an Aramco facility in Yanbu, the Shaybah oilfield, King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, and Abha airport," reports Al Jazeera. The Saudi government has yet to confirm that there were strikes on these locations, however.
Also, active fighting between Iranian and US forces could erupt once again at any moment. An Iranian official has freshly put US allied states across the region on notice.
According to an update in regional media:
An adviser to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei says Iran will respond with attacks against numerous US allies in the Middle East if it’s attacked again.
Conservative politician Mohammad Mokhber said Iran would strike “nine countries” if Iranian military bases or “petrochemical” facilities are struck again. His recorded comments posted by Tasnim, a semi-official news agency close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, did not name the countries.
As for the newest US State Dept. alert that went out to Americans in the region, this high threat standard indicates that severe or life-threatening risks and dangers are present - also with the potential for getting trapped in a country, with possible flight cancellations, airspace closures and travel disruptions. Much of Saudi airspace has been closed for over a week at this point.
The fresh warning covering a dozen countries states that "the hostilities have the potential to escalate rapidly beyond that immediate area" and to "develop contingency plans in advance."
"Iran and groups supportive of Iran may target other US interests overseas or at locations associated with the United States and Americans throughout the world, including US businesses and other institutions," the alert said. The below countries are listed:
- Saudi Arabia
- Yemen
- Israel
- Iraq
- Lebanon
- Jordan
- Qatar
- Bahrain
- Kuwait
- UAE
- Oman
- Iran
One obvious highly dangerous place of travel remains Saudi Arabia, where the Houthis have been targeting major airports - including Riyadh's main international hub - as well as Aramco oil infrastructure, almost on a daily basis. Already at the start renewed Yemen fighting, the US Embassy in Saudi Arabia warned its diplomats against unauthorized travel through King Khalid International Airport.
At this point the international hub remains closed for an indefinite amount of time, with the Houthis again on Monday announcing the airport was targeted by a ballistic missile.
There's some speculation that the new heighted State Dept. alert could be a precursor to potential renewed US bombing raids against Iran, despite White House statements indicating this likely won't happen until after the November midterm elections.