Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
The US State Department on Saturday urged Americans across the Middle East to consider leaving the region or be prepared to depart at short notice, citing growing security risks, flight disruptions and the possibility of further escalation in the conflict with Iran.
In a fresh travel advisory distributed through US embassies in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, the department warned travellers to remain vigilant amid possible airspace closures and airline cancellations.
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“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,” the advisory said. It added that US citizens should consider departing the region or be ready to leave if the security situation worsens.
The department also advised Americans to reconsider planned travel to or through the Middle East. The latest warning marks a stronger stance than an earlier advisory issued this month, which did not recommend preparing to leave the region.
The advisory comes as tensions between Washington and Tehran continue to escalate. US President Donald Trump warned on Friday that the US would be “hitting them very hard” if necessary, while Iran vowed to “punish” the US following what American officials described as a heavy exchange of strikes.
On Saturday, Kuwait’s Army said its air defence systems intercepted Iranian drones, adding that explosions heard in the country were caused by efforts to destroy the incoming aerial threats.
The warning follows confirmation by the US military two days earlier that it had carried out a “heavy wave of strikes” on Iran. The renewed hostilities have intensified concerns that the conflict, now in its sixth month, could widen further across the region.
Despite earlier hopes for diplomacy, including a memorandum of understanding signed in June to facilitate peace talks, fighting resumed after Trump declared the ceasefire “over” in early July.
The prolonged conflict has also fuelled higher global oil prices and pushed up fuel costs in the United States, raising concerns over its broader economic impact.
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
