OCTOBER 19, 2026
YEMEN-US-ISRAEL-IRAN-WAR. – Getty
US embassies in at least a dozen countries across the entire Middle East have issued a new security alert as they urge Americans to “exercise heightened vigilance” and warn of flight cancellations and airspace closures.
Embassies in Israel, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, the UAE, Yemen and Iran, all issued the new alert on Sunday.
“Americans traveling to or from the Middle East should monitor information about airport and airline operations and develop contingency plans in advance,” it warns. “Iran and groups supportive of Iran may target other U.S. interests overseas or at locations associated with the United States and Americans throughout the world, including U.S. businesses and other institutions.”
YEMEN-US-ISRAEL-IRAN-WAR. AFP via Getty Images
“If an aerial attack occurs, stay away from glass doors, windows, and any fallen debris, and monitor your phone and news outlets for official guidance,” the alert further warns. It urges Americans to “be aware of your surroundings,” “avoild all demonstrations and large gatherings,” “avoid all areas where there is a heavy police presence,” “Exercise caution and stay alert at locations publicly associated with the United States,” and to “Keep a low profile.”
The alert also recommends that Americans in the impacted countries enroll in the Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), which provides the latest security updates and makes it easier for the US embassy to contact people in an emergency.
The major escalation of fighting between Saudi Arabia and Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen has marked the latest front in the Iran war. The Houthis have repeatedly attacked airports and oil infrastructure across the kingdom with drones and missiles that can change direction during flight, posing a challenge to interceptors.
At least 19 people have been killed, thousands of flights have been affected and global markets have been rattled. The surge in fighting has threatened civilians in both Saudi Arabia and Yemen, which has seen a return to civil war.
The interim capital of Yemen’s internationally recognized government, Aden, has seen its airport and a palace used by the government attacked in the past week. On Sunday, an airstrike killed at least nine people, including five children and two women, in Yemen’s rebel-held northern province of Saada, the Houthi-run Health Ministry said.
Spokesperson Anees al-Asbahi said the strike hit a house in Sahar district and wounded 19 others, including 11 children. Some were in critical condition, he said. The rebels said attacks by Saudi-led forces had killed or wounded over 30 people in the past 24 hours.
Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, the Houthis’ military spokesperson, said 110 missiles or airstrikes were carried out against civilian sites in Sanaa and other cities.
Across the border in Saudi Arabia, a Saudi helicopter gunship crashed near the city of Najran in the southwest, killing its two-member crew, a Saudi military spokesperson said, citing a technical malfunction. The Houthis earlier claimed to have downed it.
Later, Saudi Civil Defense authorities said a projectile fired by the Houthis landed in a residential area of Najran province, wounding six people.
Courtesy: Daily Express
