The United States has issued coordinated security alerts across 12 Middle Eastern countries, warning Americans of possible attacks, sudden airspace closures and widespread flight disruption as regional tensions surge.
US embassies in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, Israel, Yemen and Iran issued near-identical advisories over the weekend, urging Americans to exercise heightened vigilance and develop contingency plans, according to reports.
Houthi attacks drive the alarm
The warnings follow a wave of missile and drone attacks by the Iran-backed Houthi movement against Saudi infrastructure, including strikes on civilian airports that caused casualties and severe travel disruption, according to reports. Operations at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh remain suspended, while Jeddah and Dammam are operating with delays and cancellations.
Qatar Airways announced it would suspend its Saudi-bound flights to and from Riyadh and Dammam until October 24 and reduce flights to Jeddah, while Etihad Airways extended cancellations between Abu Dhabi and three Saudi cities through October 24, according to reports. US government employees in Saudi Arabia now need special authorization from the Chief of Mission to use any airport in the kingdom.
A region on edge
The alerts warn that Iran and groups supportive of Tehran may target US interests overseas, including businesses and institutions associated with Americans, according to reports. The warnings come as the US military has reportedly developed additional strike options against Iran, and as Tehran’s conditional offer to reopen the Strait of Hormuz remains unresolved.
State Department officials told ABC News the alerts were part of a proactive effort to ensure Americans were aware of what they called the very real threat the Houthis pose, according to reports.
The disruption is already rippling through the region’s aviation network. Airlines are rerouting around closed airspace, and travel insurers are fielding a surge of enquiries from Americans with trips booked to the Gulf, according to reports. The US Embassy in Iraq said routine citizen services remain available in Baghdad, even as the coordinated alerts underscored how quickly the security picture can change.
