US issues 'worldwide caution' for its citizens after joining Israeli campaign on Iran

The US has issued a global security alert, warning its citizens to be extra cautious amid rising tensions in the Middle East. The alert follows recent US airstrikes on Iran and growing threats of retaliation. read more
This handout picture released by the Iranian Red Crescent on June 14, 2025, show Iranian Red Crescent volunteers working in a Tehran neighbourhood hit by a reported Israeli strike. AFP
The US State Department issued a 'worldwide caution' alert on Sunday, warning Americans that the conflict in the Middle East could increase security risks for those living or travelling abroad.
'The conflict between Israel and Iran has disrupted travel and led to airspace closures across the region. There is also a risk of protests targeting US citizens and interests overseas,' the alert said.
It advised all Americans to be extra cautious worldwide.
The alert did not mention the US airstrikes on Iran's nuclear sites the night before, which Iran warned would have 'irreparable consequences.'
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
In response to the strikes, Iran threatened US bases in the region. An advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Akbar Velayati, said any country hosting American forces involved in attacks on Iran would be considered a legitimate target.
Meanwhile, the US began evacuation flights from Israel for American citizens and permanent residents. It also ordered staff to leave US embassies in Iraq and Lebanon.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Business Standard

25 minutes ago

• Business Standard

Trump hints at regime change, says 'Make Iran Great Again': Top points

US President Donald Trump has made another U-turn on his stance on the Israel-Iran conflict, suggesting the possibility of a regime change in Tehran days after denying it. In a post on X, Trump wrote: "It's not politically correct to use the term, 'Regime Change,' but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn't there be a Regime change??? MIGA!!!" On Sunday, the US launched strikes on three key nuclear programme sites in Iran, with Trump saying that the sites were 'completely and fully obliterated'. Iran vowed retaliation, with the country's parliament approving the closure of the Strait of Hormuz to Western ships. Here are the top developments on the Israel-Iran conflict: 1. Hostilities between Israel and Iran continued on Monday, with both countries exchanging missile strikes. According to an Israeli military spokesperson, Israeli fighter jets targeted military positions in western Iran. Earlier, Iranian missile attacks caused significant damage in Tel Aviv, injuring numerous civilians and destroying buildings. 2. The Israeli military announced that its forces had targeted several Iranian military locations on Sunday. "Approximately 20 (Israeli air force) fighter jets conducted intelligence-based strikes using over 30 munitions on military targets in Iran," the Israeli army stated on Telegram, as reported by AFP. The strikes focused on 'storage and missile launching infrastructure sites', in addition to 'military satellites and radar sites'. Amid reports of strikes in Tehran, air defence systems were activated in central areas of the Iranian capital, according to local media cited by Reuters. 3. At a UN Security Council emergency session, Acting US Ambassador Dorothy Shea reiterated Trump's warning that any Iranian aggression — either direct or through its proxies — against American personnel or assets would result in strong retaliation. 4. Russia's UN envoy Vassily Nebenzia condemned the US airstrikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, warning they had opened a 'Pandora's box' with unpredictable outcomes. He said Moscow had offered to mediate but claimed the US showed no interest in peaceful dialogue. Nebenzia warned of a potential large-scale conflict with dangerous global consequences if de-escalation efforts failed. 5. Iran accused the US of derailing diplomatic efforts by bombing its nuclear infrastructure. Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran's envoy to the UN, said the Iranian military would determine the 'timing, nature and scale of Iran's proportionate response". He also alleged that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu had influenced President Trump to escalate tensions and involve the US in another costly regional conflict. 6. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi voiced concern over the rising tensions, warning that the US strikes could worsen the Israel-Iran standoff. However, he said that diplomacy remained possible and called on Iran to permit inspectors to verify the country's 4,400 kg stockpile of uranium enriched to 60 per cent. 7. Amid growing regional instability, India's evacuation drive continued. The Ministry of External Affairs confirmed the safe return of 311 Indian nationals from Mashhad to New Delhi on June 22. This brings the total number of evacuated citizens to 1,428. 8. Global oil markets reacted sharply, with Brent crude prices surging up to 5.7 per cent, hitting $81.40 a barrel. The US strikes on Iran's main nuclear sites sparked fears of potential disruptions in energy supply from West Asia. 9. US Vice President JD Vance said that the United States was targeting Iran's nuclear programme — not the country itself. 'We're not at war with Iran. We're at war with Iran's nuclear programme,' Vance said on NBC's Meet the Press with Kristen Welker. He credited the strikes with setting Iran's nuclear ambitions back by several years and criticised Tehran for failing to negotiate in good faith. 10. On Saturday, Iran's Health Ministry reported that Israeli strikes had resulted in around 400 deaths and left around 3,056 people injured. (With agency inputs)

Business Standard

25 minutes ago

• Business Standard

World braces for Iran's response after US airstrikes signal new era

The unprecedented US airstrikes on Iran have set traders and governments worldwide on edge, as the Islamic Republic warns of retaliation and Israel shows no sign of letting up in its assault. President Donald Trump's decision to deploy bunker-busting bombs, Washington's first direct military action against Iran after decades of hostility, has pushed the Middle East into uncharted territory and raised geopolitical risk in a world economy already facing severe uncertainty over his trade war. Oil rose almost 6 per cent when markets opened Monday morning in Asia, with analysts warning $100 a barrel is in sight depending on Iran's further response to the conflict, which began June 13 with a surprise attack by Israel. The US dollar pushed higher, stock futures fell and Bitcoin slid below $100,000 for the first time since early May. At the United Nations on Sunday, Iranian Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani told an emergency Security Council meeting that the 'timing nature and scale' of Tehran's response 'will be decided by its armed forces.' Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi earlier said the country reserves all options to respond. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which answers to the Iran's supreme leader, signaled US military bases in the region could be targeted. Trump has vowed to meet any retaliation with force 'far greater' than the US strikes on the nuclear sites. He also floated the possibility of regime change in Iran, although US and Israeli officials Sunday stressed that isn't their aim. Police in New York, Washington and Los Angeles increased patrols at religious institutions, diplomatic facilities and public spaces. Officials cited no immediate credible threats but highlighted the need for vigilance. The Department of Homeland Security said the Israel-Iran war has placed the US in a 'heightened threat environment' through Sept. 22. It's still unclear how successful the US strikes were in eliminating Iran's most heavily protected enrichment site at Fordow. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, which officially has the task of monitoring Iran's program, told the UN Security Council on Sunday that no one yet knows the condition of the facility, nor the location of Iran's more than 400 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 per cent. Any move by Tehran to harass traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a major artery for global crude and natural gas, has raised the specter of a spike in energy prices at a fragile moment for the global economy. 'An expanding conflict adds to the risk of higher oil prices and an upward impulse to inflation,' Bloomberg Economics analysts including Ziad Daoud wrote in a report. Naval forces in the region warned that ships, especially US-linked vessels, could be at heightened risk. Greece, home to more oil-tanker capacity than any other nation, cautioned its ship owners to think again if they're considering entering the Persian Gulf. Two supertankers both capable of hauling about 2 million barrels of crude U-turned in the Strait of Hormuz, entering the waterway then abruptly changing course on Sunday. British Airways and Singapore Airlines canceled flights to the Persian Gulf, increasing aviation disruptions in the region. While the US action was condemned by the likes of Russia and China, even allies such as UK and France distanced themselves from Trump's decision. Iran, meanwhile, finds itself isolated. Tehran's top allies — Russia and China — are offering only rhetorical support, while the militia groups Tehran has armed and funded for years are refusing or unable to enter the fight. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged in a news conference to continue Israel's military campaign in Iran as well as in the Gaza Strip. The Israel Defense Forces said Sunday it hit a surface-to-air missile launcher in Tehran, while in western Iran, Israeli jets struck infrastructure for storage and missile launches as well as satellites and military radar sites.

Business Standard

25 minutes ago

• Business Standard

US strike dealt major blow to Iran's nuclear site, says Netanyahu

Israel hailed US involvement in June 13 strikes on Iran, marking first combat use of bunker-buster bombs to target Fordow's fortified nuclear and missile facilities Bloomberg The US airstrike on the best-defended Iranian nuclear facility delivered 'a great deal of damage,' but the full extent is not yet known, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. The Israelis pressed their own strikes after the US sorties. Netanyahu pledged in a news conference to continue Israel's military campaign in Iran as well as in the Gaza Strip. Israel, which on June 13 launched air strikes designed to destroy Iran's nuclear and missile projects, lauded the participation of the US, whose military wielded for the first time in combat the unique bunker-buster munitions required to penetrate Fordow's fortifications. 'Regarding Fordow, I think that we need to doff the cap to our great friend, to my close friend President Trump, for an excellent job which the US military and Air Force did,' Netanyahu said. 'They dealt a great deal of damage to Fordow.' He added: 'We will of course study these things. And in any event we shall ensure that no threat is posed by these nuclear facilities.' Israel does not yet know what became of enriched uranium stockpiles which Iran was believed to have kept at Fordow, an Israeli official said on the condition of anonymity. If the Iranians removed it ahead of the US strike, the fissile material could potentially be purified further to make fuel for warheads. Netanyahu declined to say how long the Iran operation might take. Israel and the US were conferring, he said. The showdown marks a risky new phase in Israel's campaign against Iranian proxies like Hamas, which triggered the now region-wide conflict from Gaza when it invaded Israel in a killing and kidnapping rampage on October 7, 2023, killing more than 1,200 Israeli residents. Israel has been retaliating ever since, killing an estimated 50,000 Palestinians and now turning its attacks on its arch-enemy's nuclear program. Israeli forces recovered the bodies of three more hostages over the weekend, bringing to 50 the number still in captivity — 20 of them presumed to be alive. 'The operation in Iran helps in achieving the goal in Gaza,' he said. 'Without the support, without the scaffolding provided by Iran, all of this structure is collapsing.' It would take time for this to 'sink in' with Hamas, he added. Opinion polls have shown that most Israelis want the Gaza war ended, even with Hamas still standing, if it means the safe return of the hostages.