The United States has issued a fresh travel warning for Iran, urging American citizens not to travel to the country “for any reason” and asking those already there to leave immediately amid rising tensions and the possibility of further escalation across West Asia.

The U.S. Virtual Embassy in Iran, in a security alert, said the regional security environment remained complex and warned of potential flight cancellations, airspace closures and other travel disruptions.

“Do not travel to Iran for any reason. U.S. citizens should leave Iran now,” the alert said.

The U.S. Mission urged Americans currently in the region to exercise heightened vigilance and closely monitor developments affecting airports, airlines and border crossings.

It also warned that procedures at Iran’s land borders could change with little notice and advised travellers to check the entry requirements of countries they may seek to enter.

The alert comes amid an escalating confrontation involving the United States and Iran, with Washington maintaining military and maritime pressure on Tehran and Iranian officials warning of retaliation against U.S. interests in the region.

The U.S. also cited the activities of Iranian-supported Houthi forces, which have carried out attacks against Saudi Arabia, including civilian airports.

“Iranian-supported Houthis have engaged in hostilities against Saudi Arabia, including civilian airports. This military conflict has the potential to escalate rapidly,” the alert said.

The United States further warned that its diplomatic facilities, including locations outside the West Asia, have previously been targeted and that Iran or groups supportive of Tehran could target U.S. interests, businesses and institutions overseas.

American citizens were advised to enrol in the Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security updates and facilitate contact with US diplomatic authorities during emergencies.

The alert also advised citizens to avoid demonstrations, large gatherings and areas with heavy police presence, while maintaining a low profile at locations publicly associated with the United States.

In case of an aerial attack, Americans were instructed to stay away from windows and glass doors, avoid fallen debris and monitor official communications.

The latest warning follows a separate U.S. security alert for Americans and U.S. government personnel in Saudi Arabia. The U.S. Mission in Saudi Arabia recently required government employees to obtain special authorisation for official and personal travel to Taif and Yanbu amid heightened security concerns following Houthi attacks.

Saudi authorities had issued an emergency warning over a “hostile aerial threat” after a ballistic missile was launched towards Riyadh. Saudi-led coalition forces said the missile was intercepted and also reported attempted attacks targeting civilian populations and infrastructure in Bish, Taif, Farasan and Yanbu.

Qatar has condemned the Houthi attacks and expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia, describing the strikes as a violation of the kingdom’s sovereignty and international law.

The U.S. State Department has separately urged Americans travelling to or through West Asia to remain vigilant as regional tensions raise the risk of sudden flight disruptions, airspace closures and attacks targeting U.S. interests.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday (June 17, 2026) that an interim accord with Iran was not final and that he could resume a bombing campaign if he did not like it or if Tehran did not “behave”.

Also read: West Asia war updates on June 17, 2026

“It’s a memorandum of understanding. And if I don’t like it, we’ll go back to shooting at them, dropping bombs on their heads. If I don’t like it, if they don’t behave, we’ll go right back to dropping bombs right smack in the middle of their head, OK?” Mr. Trump said on the sidelines of a G7 summit in France.

Mr. Trump said the Iran memorandum of understanding did not include immediate sanctions relief for Iran.

Mr. Trump heaped praise on the framework agreement that his administration had negotiated, saying, “That’s a very strong deal. Nobody knows what it is, but it’s very strong, and most people seem to be very happy.”

He said the agreement would be a boon for markets.

“There’s nothing so smart as the market, and the market loves it beyond anything that I’ve actually seen,” he said, adding: “The alternative would be a worldwide depression.”

Oil prices were near a three-month low on Wednesday, with Mr. Trump predicting further decreases: “I think oil prices might get lower than where they were before the war.”

‘Minor war’

Mr. Trump also said that he had spoken to Syria’s leader about combatting Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, a day after criticising Israel for killing too many civilians and not getting the job done.

“I consider that (Lebanon) the minor war; Iran’s a big one, but we have that little pinprick out there that constantly rears its head, and that’s Hezbollah,” Mr. Trump told presspersons on Tuesday.

Mr. Trump has strongly backed Mr. Sharaa, a former al-Qaeda commander who toppled long-ruling autocrat Bashar al-Assad and has sought to portray himself as a moderate leader trying to unify his war-ravaged nation and end its isolation.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday (April 15, 2026) said Israel and the U.S. share “identical goals” in the ongoing conflict with Iran.

The Israeli Prime Minister said the U.S. has been keeping Israel updated on its contacts with Iran and reiterated that both nations seek the removal of enriched material, an end to Iran’s enrichment capabilities, and the reopening of key maritime routes.

Attacks like the one by U.S. and Israel on Iran’s Bushehr nuclear site must never happen again, and the world needs to discuss avoiding a moment where nuclear weapons, even in a limited way, would be used, says Director-General of International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi, welcoming news of the U.S.-Iran ceasefire. In an exclusive interview to The Hindu, Mr. Grossi, who is running for UN Secretary General this year, says UNSC reform is possible, and that India has a “legitimate” claim to a seat.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has asked the Army’s top uniformed officer to step down, the Pentagon said on Thursday (April 2, 2026) without giving a reason for the departure as the United States wages a war against Iran.

Gen. Randy George “will be retiring from his position as the 41st Chief of Staff of the Army effective immediately,” said Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s top spokesperson. Mr. George has held the post of Army chief of staff, which typically runs for four years, since August 2023 under the Biden administration.

The ouster, reported earlier by CBS News, is just the latest of more than a dozen firings of top generals and admirals by Mr. Hegseth since he took office last year. Like many of those other firings, Pentagon officials are not offering a reason for George’s departure, which comes nearly five weeks into U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran and with no clear timeline from President Donald Trump on when the war may end.

Mr. George is a graduate of West Point Military Academy and an infantry officer who served in the first Gulf War as well as Iraq and Afghanistan. He also served as Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s top military aide from 2021 to 2022 during the Biden administration before taking on top leadership roles in the Army.

Mr. George made it through the initial round of firings under the Trump administration in February 2025, when Hegseth removed top military leaders, including Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the Navy’s top uniformed officer, and Gen. Jim Slife, the No. 2 leader at the Air Force. Trump also fired Gen. Charles “CQ” Brown Jr. as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Since then, more than a dozen other top military generals and admirals have either retired early or been removed from their posts.

Among these departures was George’s deputy, Gen. James Mingus, who was in the post of vice chief of staff of the Army for less than two years when Trump suddenly nominated Lt. Gen. Christopher LaNeve for the position. Mr. LaNeve was then serving as Mr. Hegseth’s top military aide, having been plucked for that post from commanding the Eighth Army in South Korea after less than a year in the job.

Mr. LaNeve will be stepping in as acting Army chief of staff, according to a Pentagon official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the move before it has been announced. It is a meteoric rise for an officer who was only a two-star general two years ago.

A spokesman for George could not be immediately reached for comment.

The shakeup comes as Army paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne division are heading to the West Asia along with thousands of Marines and other assets. The Trump administration has avoided questions about whether or not the U.S. military will deploy ground troops against Iran.

The number of Americans wounded in the Iran war has grown beyond 300, with more than two dozen troops injured this week from attacks on a Saudi air base.

Iran fired six ballistic missiles and 29 drones at Saudi Arabia’s Prince Sultan air base in an attack on Friday (March 27, 2026) that injured at least 15 troops, including five seriously, according to two people briefed on the matter.

US officials initially reported that at least 10 US troops were injured, including two who were seriously wounded.

More American forces are reaching West Asia, with a Navy ship carrying about 2,500 Marines having now arrived in the region, US Central Command announced Saturday.

The USS Tripoli, an amphibious assault ship, as well as the elements from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit that are aboard, are based in Japan. They were conducting exercises in the area around Taiwan when the order came to deploy to the Middle East almost two weeks ago.

Also read: Israel-Iran war LIVE updates

Central Command said that in addition to the Marines, the Tripoli also brings transport and strike fighter aircraft, as well as amphibious assault assets to the region. The USS Boxer and two other ships, along with another Marine Expeditionary Unit, have also been ordered to the region from San Diego.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday the United States can meet its objectives “without any ground troops”.

But he also said Mr. Trump “has to be prepared for multiple contingencies” and that American forces are available “to give the president maximum optionality and maximum, opportunity to adjust to contingencies should they emerge.” The Saudi base had come under come attack twice earlier in week, including an incident that injured 14 U.S. troops, according to the people, who were not authorised to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The base, which is about 96 kilometers (60 miles) from the Saudi capital of Riyadh, is run by the Royal Saudi Air Force, but also used by US troops. The installation has been targeted almost since the beginning of the war, which on Saturday (March 28, 2026) reached the one-month mark.

Army Sgt. Benjamin N. Pennington, 26, was wounded during a March 1 attack on the base and died days later. He is one of the 13 service members who have been killed in the war.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment Saturday regarding the American casualties at the Saudi base.

Central Command said on Friday (March 28, 2026) that more than 300 service members have been wounded in the war. Most have returned to duty, while 30 remained out of action and 10 were considered seriously wounded.

Iran has responded to attacks by the United States and Israel with strikes against Israel and neighbouring Gulf Arab states. The war has upended global air travel, disrupted oil exports and caused fuel prices to soar. Iran’s stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway, has exacerbated the economic fallout.

With the economic repercussions extending far beyond West Asia, President Donald Trump is under growing pressure to end Iran’s choke-hold on the strait. The latest attacks on the Saudi air base happened after Mr. Trump claimed talks on ending the war were going “very well”.

Mr. Trump said he had given Tehran until April 6 to reopen the strait. Iran says it has not engaged in any negotiations.

Iran’s relations with Arab Gulf states will require ‌a “serious review” in light of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, limiting the power of ​external actors so the region can become prosperous, Tehran’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia told Reuters ⁠on Sunday (March 15, 2026).

Asked if he was concerned that relations would be harmed by the war, Ambassador Alireza Enayati said: “It’s a valid question, and the answer may be simple. We are neighbors and we cannot do without each other; we ‌will need a serious review.” “What the region has witnessed over the past five decades is the result of an exclusionary approach [within the region] and an excessive reliance on ‌external powers,” he said in a written response to questions, calling for deeper ties between the ‌Gulf Cooperation ⁠Council’s six members, along with Iraq and Iran.

Iran-Israel war updates on March 15, 2026

Gulf Arab states have faced more ⁠than 2,000 missile and drone attacks since the outbreak of the war on February 28, with targets including U.S. diplomatic missions and military bases but also critical Gulf oil infrastructure, ports, airports, hotels and residential and office buildings. The United Arab Emirates, which ​normalized relations with Iran’s arch-foe Israel in 2020, ‌has faced the brunt of the attacks. But all Gulf Arab states have been impacted, and all have condemned Iran.

Behind the scenes, analysts and regional sources say there is also growing frustration at the U.S., long their security guarantor, at dragging them into a war they did not ‌endorse but for which they are paying a hefty price. In Saudi Arabia, attacks have been ​concentrated on the eastern region where most of the kingdom’s oil is produced, as well as the Prince Sultan Airbase hosting U.S. forces east of Riyadh, and the ⁠Diplomatic Quarter on the Saudi capital’s western edge, according to Saudi defense ministry statements. Saudi Arabia and Iran re-established full diplomatic relations in 2023 after years of enmity that saw them back rival political and military factions ‌across the region.

Iran not responsible for attacks on Saudi oil sector

Enayati denied that Iran was responsible for the attacks on Saudi Arabia’s oil infrastructure, including the Ras Tanura refinery on the east coast and dozens of attempted drone attacks on the Shaybah oil field in the desert near the UAE border.

“Iran is not the party responsible for these attacks, and if Iran had carried them out, it would have announced it,” he said. He did not say who had carried out the attacks. Saudi Defense ‌Ministry statements have not assigned blame for individual incidents. Enayati said Iran was only attacking U.S. and Israeli targets and interests.

Enayati ​said he personally was in ongoing contact with Saudi officials, with relations “progressing naturally” in many areas. He highlighted Saudi cooperation regarding the departure of Iranians who were in the ⁠kingdom for religious pilgrimage and the provision of medical assistance to others. He said Tehran was in contact ⁠with Riyadh regarding Saudi Arabia’s publicly stated position that its land, sea and air would not be used to attack Iran, without elaborating on the discussions.

His message to Gulf states was ‌that the war “has been imposed on us and the region.”

To resolve the conflict, the U.S. and Israel must halt their attacks and regional countries should not be involved, while international guarantees must be ​secured to prevent their recurrence, he said.

“Only then can we focus on building a prosperous region,” he said. 

French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday (March 14, 2026) said Lebanon was ready to engage in “direct talks” with Israel and offered to host negotiations in Paris.

Iran-Israel war LIVE: Israeli Defence Minister says war with Iran entering ‘decisive phase’; Iran threatens U.S.-linked facilities in UAE

“The Lebanese government has signalled its willingness to engage in direct talks with Israel,” he said on X, adding that “all sections of society must be represented in these talks.”

“France is ready to facilitate these talks by hosting them in Paris,” Mr. Macron said, adding he had spoken to the President and Prime Minister of Lebanon, a former French protectorate.

“Everything must be done to prevent Lebanon from descending into chaos,” Mr. Macron added.

“Hezbollah must immediately halt its reckless course. Israel must abandon plans for a large-scale offensive and cease its massive air strikes.”

Lebanon was drawn into the West Asia war last week when Iran-backed Hezbollah attacked Israel in response to the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in U.S.-Israeli strikes.

Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem said on Friday (March 13, 2026) his group was ready for a long confrontation with Israel.

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