US Embassies Warn Citizens in Middle East Amid Escalating Iran Tensions

A number of U.S. Embassies in the Middle East on Saturday warned American citizens in the region to exercise caution and be prepared for flight cancellations amid growing tensions between Iran and the United States.

Embassies in Iraq, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates each warned U.S. citizens to consider departing the region immediately, or be prepared to depart should there be escalation in fighting.

A senior Gulf government official and a foreign diplomat based in the Gulf region told MS NOW the region is on "high alert" in anticipation of an "increase" in military action in the coming days. The officials, who did not want to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter, added that there will be "significant disruptions" across the region.

One official told MS NOW that Gulf states had been briefed on potential U.S.-Israeli attacks on energy infrastructure in Iran. The diplomats say that if such an attack were to occur, Iran is expected to retaliate by targeting energy sites in the Gulf region.

The warnings come after a tanker near Oman reported being struck overnight, with another saying it saw an explosion nearby. Iran has warned Washington that the U.S. military's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz would result in the closure of key shipping routes.

Kuwait also said its air defenses confronted hostile drone attacks by Iran.

The latest conflict comes amid U.S. media reports that U.S. President Donald Trump is preparing for a fresh round of strikes against Iran as early as this weekend, as hopes of a negotiated end to the war that began on Feb. 28 recede and energy prices climb.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told his Saudi counterpart in a phone call on Saturday that any "aggression" by the U.S. and Israel or participation of regional countries will be met with a "decisive and proportionate response," according to Araqchi's Telegram account.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre (UKMTO) — an organization backed by the British Navy — said Saturday it received a report of a tanker being hit by an "unknown projectile which has caused damage to the engine room."

"The tanker is not under command and the regional Coast Guard have been informed. There are no reported casualties or environmental impact," UKMTO said of the incident 11 nautical miles northeast of Oman.

Another tanker in the waters off Oman reported "seeing a large splash and explosion in close proximity to the vessel," UKMTO said.

A temporary ceasefire following the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran on June 17 has effectively broken down. Neither side has given way on key sticking points, including Iran's nuclear program and control of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world's oil supplies moved before the war broke out.

Over the last week, the U.S. completed a "heavy wave" of strikes against Iran, hitting dozens of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targets. In retaliation, Iran attacked U.S. military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain.

Egypt said Thursday that a drone hit two ships at its Mediterranean port of Damietta, triggering a fire. No one claimed responsibility for the strike, which marks the first attack on Egyptian soil since the war began and another sign that the conflict is expanding.

The Wall Street Journal cited unnamed U.S. officials as saying Friday that Trump has ordered the military to launch a fresh attack on Iran that could begin as soon as this weekend. But Trump could call off the planned strikes, officials told the Journal, if there is progress on the diplomatic front.

"We will be hitting them very hard," The Associated Press quoted Trump as saying Friday at a televised cabinet meeting at the Camp David presidential retreat. "And you know at some point, they're going to say, 'We just can't take it anymore.'"

Axios quoted an unnamed U.S. official as saying that Trump is seriously considering attacking Iranian energy targets in the next few days, but hasn't given final orders to do so.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi warned on Saturday of any "adventurous action" by the U.S. in separate phone calls with his Turkish counterpart and Pakistan's army commander, according to the Iranian minister's account on Telegram.

Araqchi stressed his country's readiness to respond decisively to any "aggression."

An Iranian official also warned that the U.S.'s actions would lead Iran to tighten its control over critical maritime passages.

"The continuation of the naval blockade and warmongering by the U.S. regime will not only lock the Strait of Hormuz tighter, but will also shut down other straits and chokepoints," Iran's WANA news agency quoted Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, as saying.

"The price for this will be paid by the global economy, the energy market, and American voters," Zolghadr reportedly said.

The U.S. reimposed a naval blockade on Iranian ships on July 13, preventing its vessels from entering or leaving its ports.

Recent strikes by Iran-backed Houthi fighters in Yemen and Friday's drone strike in Egypt have raised fears that the crucial Bab el-Mandeb strait at the southern end of the Red Sea could become a second choke point for Iran to target as the two sides tussle over the Strait of Hormuz.

On Friday, West Texas Intermediate futures rose more than 1% to close at $84.67 per barrel. Brent crude, the international benchmark, also gained more than 1% to settle at $90.12. Prices fell more than 5% for the week after selling off Monday on hopes the conflict in the Middle East would de-escalate.