The US, on Monday, issued a travel advisory warning its citizens against travelling to the Middle East and advising those already in the region to “exercise increased caution.”
US and Iran, locked in a struggle over the Strait of Hormuz, traded strikes for the 10th consecutive night on Monday. Explosions have been reported across the region, particularly in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan, which have been the targets of Iranian retaliatory attacks.
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The tension in the region is also escalating. Iran’s Houthi allies in Yemen previously threatened to close another key oil-shipping strait, the Bab al-Mandeb at the mouth of the Red Sea, and impose a blockade on Saudi Arabia.
The Iranian-backed rebel group also threatens to open a new front of the war. All of which could further rattle the global oil market.
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The State Department, in the advisory published on its website, described the security in the Gulf as complex and with potential for unforeseen escalation.
“Americans currently in the Middle East should exercise caution and heightened vigilance and should be prepared for possible flight cancellations, periodic airspace closures, and potential travel disruptions.
“Americans outside the Middle East should reconsider travel to and through the region,” it said.
The State Department stated that “US diplomatic facilities, including outside the Middle East, have been targeted.”
READ ALSO: US continues to attack Iran as tension expands to Red Sea
“Iran and groups supportive of Iran may target other US interests overseas or at locations associated with the United States and Americans throughout the world,” it added.
The US embassy in Jordan previously claimed Jordanian authorities had evacuated the country’s international airport and seaport in Aqaba, northeast of the Red Sea, following a “specific and credible threat.”
However, the Jordanian authorities disputed the US statement. The Minister of Communication, Mohammad al-Momani, said security agencies had recorded no potential threats.
He also insisted that the airport and port are operating normally.
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