Washington alerts its citizens in the Gulf to the dangers of the complex security situation

Washington's embassies in the Gulf states, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Israel issued a security warning stating, "Americans currently in the Middle East should exercise extreme caution in light of the complex security situation. Please prepare for the possibility of flight cancellations, airspace closures, and travel disruptions." In the warning, she referred to the situation in Saudi Arabia, which was subjected to almost daily attacks carried out by the Houthis with missiles and drones, the most violent of which was the attack on Riyadh Airport on October 10, which resulted in 13 dead and more than 300 wounded.

The warning indicated that "Iran and groups loyal to it may target other American interests abroad, or sites linked to the United States and Americans around the world, including American companies and other institutions." Hostilities were renewed as a result of the war in the Middle East, which broke out with an American-Israeli attack on Iran on February 28, with the collapse of a truce that had been in effect in Yemen since 2022. The Houthis, supported by Tehran, achieved progress on the ground at the expense of government forces supported by a military coalition led by Riyadh. They took control of the western coast of Yemen and the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait region, whose importance to Saudi Arabia in exporting oil increased, amid Iran’s practical closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

The foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council, who held their meeting in the Bahraini capital, Manama, yesterday evening (Sunday, October 18, 2026), condemned in a statement “the continued Iranian attacks with missiles and drones on the GCC countries and Jordan, directly or through its agents in the region, which targeted civilian facilities, service sites, residential areas, and diplomatic missions, and resulted in significant material damage, and constituted a threat to the security of citizens.” And its residents and their safety,” according to the Saudi News Agency “SPA”. The ministers called for "an immediate and unconditional cessation of all attacks, provocations and threats, and full compliance with Security Council Resolution No. 2817."

The ministers called on "the Security Council and the international community to assume their responsibilities and take what is necessary to ensure the full implementation of the resolution, hold those responsible for these attacks accountable, and oblige Iran to make full reparation for all damages resulting from them." In their statement, the ministers stressed that “the Straits of Hormuz, Bab al-Mandab, and the Red Sea are vital waterways whose importance is not limited to the countries of the region, but rather represent major arteries for the global economy,” stressing that “ensuring their security, safety of navigation, and freedom is a common international interest and responsibility.”