It already does.
Worldwide Caution:
Due to heightened tensions in the Middle East, the security environment remains complex with the potential for unforeseen escalation. Americans currently in the Middle East should exercise caution and heightened vigilance and should be prepared for flight cancellations, periodic airspace closures, and potential travel disruptions. Some airlines in the region have postponed resumption of earlier flight schedules; others have cancelled some routes.
Continued below….
- Iran’s top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf says there will be no security in the region if Iran’s security is not guaranteed.
- President Donald Trump threatens that the US will bomb and destroy critical Iranian infrastructure every time Iran shoots at ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
- Iran has pledged retaliatory attacks on civilian infrastructure in the region, including bridges and energy sites.
- Iran’s Health Ministry says that at least 53 people have been killed in US strikes on the country since June 27.
US military disputes Iran’s assertion it controls Hormuz Strait
US Central Command (CENTCOM) has asserted that Iran’s claim that it controls the strategic Strait of Hormuz is false.
“Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz. The international waterway remains open for transit regardless of IRGC threats and attacks,” it said in a post on social media.
CENTCOM added that it has facilitated the passage of more than 900 commercial ships through the strait since early May.
US’s Hegseth wants $70bn more to keep fighting Iran
Iran activated air defence systems across Tehran on the 11th night of US strikes, as the war edges closer to the capital.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon is seeking nearly $70bn more to sustain the war, on top of the $37.5bn it’s already cost.
Latest Updates:
- The US bombs Iran for the 12th consecutive night, killing at least two people and wounding 11 others in an attack on the Shalamcheh border crossing with Iraq.
- Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says a tanker is ablaze in the Strait of Hormuz, while Yemen’s Houthis also claim missile and drone strikes on two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea.
- Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, says Tehran’s defence doctrine is an “eye for an eye” after US President Donald Trump warned that US forces would bomb an Iranian bridge or power plant every time Iranian forces hit a ship in the Strait of Hormuz.
- The US and Saudi Arabia reach a landmark nuclear cooperation agreement that could let Riyadh develop civilian uranium enrichment capabilities.
US advises ‘Americans worldwide to exercise increased caution’
The US State Department has renewed a security alert advising Americans “worldwide to exercise increased caution” due to “heightened tensions in the Middle East”.
“The security environment remains complex with the potential for unforeseen escalation,” the department said in its latest update.
Travel Warning:
U.S. diplomatic facilities, including outside the Middle East, have been targeted. Iran and groups supportive of Iran may target other U.S. interests overseas or at locations associated with the United States and Americans throughout the world, including U.S. businesses and other institutions.
Americans outside the Middle East should reconsider travel to and through the region. Americans traveling in or through the region should check with their air carriers to make sure their flights are still scheduled. Contact your airline directly for flight change details if your flight is affected. Full information: travel.state.gov/en/internation