Iran said it has asked countries in the region to prevent US attacks. An Iranian official said Tehran has warned from Saudi Arabia, UAE to Turkey that US bases in these countries will be attacked if the US targets Iran. Direct communication channels between Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff have been suspended.
The US is withdrawing part of its personnel from military bases in the Middle East, according to a US official, amid Iran warning it would attack US bases if Washington conducts airstrikes. This move comes as Iranian leaders seek to prevent the possibility of US intervention in support of widespread anti-government protests in the country.
An unnamed US official said that the withdrawal was carried out as a precaution against escalating tensions in the region. A Western military official shared with the press that signals showing the risk of US attacks are present, but the unpredictable approach is part of President Donald Trump's administration's strategy.
At the White House, Mr. Trump expressed a more cautious stance when saying he was monitoring developments. He was informed that tensions in the campaign to suppress protests in Iran are decreasing. Mr. Trump did not rule out military action, emphasizing that the administration will consider the process and said he had received a "very good" statement from Iran.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi affirmed that "there is no plan" to hang protesters. However, the Iranian Human Rights Organization based in Norway believes that hanging is still common in Iranian prisons.
Two European officials said that the possibility of US military intervention could happen soon, while an Israeli official said that Mr. Trump seems to have decided to intervene, although the scale and timing are unclear.
Qatar confirmed that the personnel cuts at the Al Udeid airbase, the largest US base in the Middle East, are a response to regional tensions. Three diplomats said that some personnel have been asked to leave the base. The UK is also reported by the media to be withdrawing part of its forces from the airbase in Qatar.
Protests in Iran, starting from protests against economic hardship, have escalated into the most serious violence since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. An Iranian official said more than 2,000 people were killed, while a human rights organization put the figure above 2,600.
Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces Abdolrahim Mousavi accused outsiders of causing unprecedented levels of devastation. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot described this as "the most violent crackdown in Iran's contemporary history".
