US Embassy Jerusalem Warns of Iran, Houthi Threats

The US Embassy in Jerusalem joined American diplomatic missions across the Middle East on Sunday in issuing security alerts. The alerts tell US citizens to exercise heightened vigilance and to prepare for flight cancellations and airspace closures, citing threats from Iran, its proxies and the Houthis in Yemen.

The reported number of missions differs. Initial reports put it at 11 countries. JNS reported alerts covering 12: Israel, Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. The list includes the US Virtual Embassy in Iran and the American missions in Yemen and Iraq.

The warning applies to Americans in Israel, including students, visitors and dual citizens. It advises them to expect travel disruptions and to make contingency plans.

The alerts point to recent Houthi strikes on Saudi civilian airports and critical infrastructure. They warn that these attacks could escalate beyond the kingdom. They also caution that Iran and Iran-aligned groups may target US interests worldwide.

The State Department's travel account echoed the message on X. "Americans currently in the Middle East should exercise heightened vigilance due to the complex security environment," the TravelGov post read. "Be aware of potential flight cancellations, airspace closures, and travel disruptions."

Regional tensions rose on other fronts as well, i24NEWS reported. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi called for urgent parliamentary approval to deploy military support if Saudi Arabia asks for help against intensifying Houthi attacks. Lawmakers are set to continue discussions on Monday.

Separately, Iranian media, citing the navy of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, reported that an oil tanker struck a naval mine in the southern Strait of Hormuz. The strike set off a fire and an explosion.

IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohabbi warned that any attack on Iran's energy infrastructure would turn Israel into "scorched earth forever." On Saturday, JFeed reported that Israeli, American and allied intelligence agencies saw no concrete indication of an imminent Iranian strike. That report also noted that the IDF has doubled its deployment on all three active fronts ahead of Israel's October 27 Knesset election.