The U.S. State Department urged Americans to reconsider travel to the Middle East as the war with Iran risks rapid escalation. Iran says the Strait of Hormuz stays closed until the U.S. lifts its naval blockade and sanctions, while Houthi rebels claim a missile and drone attack on Riyadh.
The U.S. State Department warned Americans to reconsider traveling to the Middle East, saying the war with Iran could worsen quickly. Tehran, meanwhile, held firm on keeping the Strait of Hormuz closed.
According to the State Department: "This military conflict has the potential to escalate rapidly." The warning told Americans outside the Middle East to seriously reconsider travel to and through the region, while those already there were told to watch for flight cancellations and airspace closures.
Houthi attack claim follows Riyadh airport smoke
Iran-backed Houthi rebels based in Yemen said they attacked "sensitive" sites in Riyadh with missiles and drones on Saturday. The claim came hours after flames and a plume of smoke were seen near the Saudi capital's main airport, though local authorities have not stated a cause. U.S. embassies across the region issued their own security alerts for American nationals citing the heightened tensions.
The attack claim follows weeks of Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia. The group launched a ground offensive around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, seizing Mokha and nearby islands, a chokepoint at the mouth of the Red Sea. Last week, the Trump administration approved the potential $24.3 billion sale of nearly 50 F-35 warplanes to Saudi Arabia.
Iran ties Hormuz reopening to its conditions
Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the Strait of Hormuz would not reopen until all of Iran's conditions are met. Former Supreme National Security Council secretary Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr said last month that reopening the strait would require Washington to lift its naval blockade and sanctions, withdraw U.S. forces from the region, pay war reparations and release frozen Iranian assets.
Iran's armed forces separately warned regional neighbors that aligning with the U.S. would draw retaliation from Tehran, adding that the government had received information the U.S. is preparing to resume military action against Iran. Still, Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said consultations with Qatari and Pakistani mediators continue and that Tehran's terms have been passed to Washington.
Trump said last Wednesday that the country is hopefully nearing the end of its nearly seven-month war with Iran. Brent crude, the international benchmark, has risen 72% since the start of 2026 as the conflict chokes off energy supplies through the strait.
Source: CNBC
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