Sanaa, Yemen – September 11: Supporters of Yemen’s Houthis take part in a rally to celebrate the group’s capture of the strategic port city of Mokha and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in Sanaa, Yemen, on September 11, 2026. (Photo by Mohamed Hammoud/Getty Images)
Mohammed Hammoud | Getty Images News | Getty Images
The US State Department has warned Americans to reconsider traveling to the Middle East, adding that the Iran war could quickly escalate as the Iranian government remains defiant over the Strait of Hormuz.
“This military conflict has the potential to rapidly escalate, and Americans outside the Middle East should seriously consider traveling to or through the Middle East,” the State Department said in a post on X late Saturday.
Americans currently in the Middle East “should remain vigilant and be aware of the potential for flight cancellations, airspace closures, and travel disruptions,” the statement said.
Yemen-based Iranian-backed Houthi rebels said on Saturday they had attacked “sensitive” positions in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh with missiles and drones. The Houthi claim came hours after flames and heavy smoke were seen near the city’s main airport, but local authorities did not say what caused it.
President Donald Trump told Fox News on Sunday that he is in “constant communication” with the Houthis following the attack on Saudi Arabia, insisting that the Iranian-backed group has agreed not to attack the United States. President Trump added that he was “in the decision stages” of war with Iran, and said that depending on Iran’s attitude, he would decide “whether to blow up the country or not.”
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for confirmation.
The U.S. embassy in the region has issued a warning for Americans in the Middle East, citing rising tensions and the possibility of an unexpected escalation.
The warning comes in the wake of attacks by the Houthis against Saudi Arabia in recent weeks. They launched a blitzkrieg ground offensive around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a strategically important oil chokepoint at the mouth of the Red Sea, and captured Moka Island and nearby islands.
US President Donald Trump’s administration last week approved the potential sale of about 50 F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia for $24.3 billion, in what is seen as a major boost for Saudi Arabia.
“There is no way” to return to negotiations
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Berger Ghalibaf said in a Telegram post on Sunday that the vital Strait of Hormuz sea route connecting Iran and Oman will not open until all of his country’s conditions are met.
Mohammad Bagher Zolgadol, a former secretary of Iran’s Supreme Council for National Security, said last month that reopening the strait would require the lifting of the U.S. government’s naval blockade and sanctions, the withdrawal of U.S. forces from the region, the payment of war reparations and the release of frozen Iranian assets.
The council also called for an end to US attacks on Iran’s regional allies and threats against Iran, according to media reports.
In separate social media posts, Iran’s military warned its regional neighbors that aligning with the United States would lead to retaliation by Tehran.
Large black smoke rises from the fuel storage area at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on September 19, 2026.
Stringer | Reuters
The message added that the government had received information that the United States was preparing to resume military action against Iran.
Meanwhile, Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, told MS NOW on Saturday that talks with Qatari and Pakistani mediators are continuing and that he has conveyed the terms of the negotiations to the United States.
“We are in contact with the Qatari mediator and they have conveyed our conditions to stop the war to Washington, and we are waiting for President Trump’s reaction to these conditions,” Rezaei said. “Our conditions are an end to the war on all fronts, the release of Iran’s frozen assets, and the lifting of the naval blockade.”
President Trump said Wednesday that he is “hopefully” nearing an end to the nearly seven-month war with Iran.
Brent crude, the international benchmark, has risen 72% since early 2026 as the war disrupted energy supplies flowing through the Strait of Hormuz between Iran and Oman.
