Middle East braces for more violence as Iran claims US is planning to renew bombing campaign
US-Israel war on Iran
Tensions are escalating in the Middle East as Iran claims it has received intelligence suggesting the US is preparing for a renewed bombing campaign.
Governments across the region are on high alert following this assertion, coupled with:
- Donald Trump's abrupt departure from Camp David and a security alert issued by the US State Department to citizens in the Middle East.
- Trump's comments to Fox News, stating "very big things are going to be happening... in the not-so-distant future," and considering options like "wiping Iran out, letting them rot economically, or making a deal."
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has warned that any US attack will result in "continuous, effective, and painful" retaliatory strikes.
The recent attacks on Riyadh by Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels appear to be the trigger for this latest round of sabre-rattling.
The Saudi capital suffered a sustained missile barrage on Saturday, the first such attack on the Aramco oil facilities since the ceasefire breakdown in June. Riyadh claimed to have intercepted the missiles, but photographs show smoke rising from the Aramco facility.
The port of Yanbu, crucial for Saudi oil exports, is also a target of concern.