WASHINGTON: US naval forces are readying for potential military strikes against Iran, with personnel actively loading munitions and readying combat aircraft aboard the USS George Washington aircraft carrier strike group, The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday.
Concurrently, the United States has initiated the partial evacuation of diplomatic staff and their families from key Middle Eastern nations, including Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Jordan, according to CNN. Intelligence reports concerning alleged Iranian assassination plots prompted the strategic reduction in embassy staffing, news portal Axios added.
Addressing a public rally in Florida on Friday, US President Donald Trump warned that Washington could launch another military operation against Iran unless Tehran agrees to sign a new diplomatic pact with the United States.
Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that crude oil exports originating from the Persian Gulf have surged beyond pre-war operational levels, neutralizing Iranian attempts to disrupt international maritime energy shipments.
On the diplomatic front, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is scheduled to attend the 8th Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) summit in Moscow on October 27. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed that Pezeshkian will travel to the Russian capital next week to hold high-level bilateral talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Amid escalating regional friction, the US Department of State updated its travel advisories across the Middle East, citing intensified security threats posed by Iran-backed Houthi forces operating out of Yemen.
According to security alerts issued by US diplomatic missions in the region and reported by Reuters on Saturday, the updated travel warnings encompass Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Iraq, Lebanon, and Israel.
For more details: Navamalayalam.com