Iran warns neighbours against hosting US bases as Trump hints at intervention amid deadly protests
Iran has warned neighbouring countries hosting US troops that American military bases would be targeted if Washington launches strikes against Tehran, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Wednesday, as tensions rise over President Donald Trump’s threats to intervene in Iran’s unrest.
The warning was conveyed to several US allies in the region, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey, the official said, adding that Tehran had urged these countries to prevent Washington from taking military action.
The comments came as three diplomats told Reuters that some personnel had been advised to leave the US military’s Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
One diplomat described the move as a “posture change” rather than an ordered evacuation, noting there were no signs of a large-scale troop withdrawal like the one seen last year before Iran launched missiles at the base in retaliation for US airstrikes.
Trump has repeatedly threatened to intervene in support of protesters in Iran, where a US-based rights group says more than 2,400 people have been killed in a sweeping crackdown on one of the biggest waves of unrest since the 1979 revolution.
Iranian officials accuse the United States and Israel of fuelling the protests, branding demonstrators as terrorists.
According to an Israeli assessment shared with Reuters, Trump has decided to intervene, though the timing and scale of any action remain unclear.
An Israeli official said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet had been briefed on the possibility of US involvement or even regime collapse.
In recent days, Trump has escalated his rhetoric.
In an interview with CBS News, he warned of “very strong action” if Iran executes protesters, saying, “If they hang them, you’re going to see some things.” He also urged Iranians to continue protesting, declaring that “help is on the way.”
The senior Iranian official said direct contacts between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff had been suspended amid the standoff.
The United States maintains a significant military presence across the region, including its Central Command’s forward headquarters at Al Udeid in Qatar and the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain.
Meanwhile, the flow of information from inside Iran remains limited due to internet shutdowns.
Rights groups report thousands of arrests, while Western officials say the crackdown has restored some calm, even as tensions remain high and fears of wider conflict grow.
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