WASHINGTON, September 21 — The U.S. State Department warned Americans against traveling to the Middle East as hostilities rage between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthi movement, saying the military conflict has the potential to escalate rapidly. The warning, issued on Saturday, September 19, came as U.S. embassies across the region issued security alerts for Americans, according to CBS News. The broader Middle East war involves Iran, which has blockaded the strategic Strait of Hormuz throughout the conflict.
On Sunday, September 20, Iran’s top negotiator said Tehran had conveyed to Washington through mediators its conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The two foes remain locked in a stalemate.
That same day, CIA Director John Ratcliffe met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi during a rare visit to Cairo. The meeting, attended by Egypt’s spy chief Hassan Rashad, discussed the wars in Iran, the Gaza Strip and Sudan, as well as attacks on Gulf countries and threats to maritime security. Sisi stressed the paramount importance of settling regional crises through political and diplomatic tracks, according to a presidency statement.
Ratcliffe lauded Egypt’s pivotal role in supporting efforts aimed at reaching peaceful, comprehensive settlements to regional crises. The visit came days after de facto Saudi leader Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met Sisi in Cairo; the pair urged safe and secure maritime navigation through Bab al-Mandab after the Houthis seized the Yemeni coast in a lightning offensive.
Cairo is a key U.S. ally in the region and one of the top recipients of U.S. military aid, and has repeatedly positioned itself as a stabilizing force, keeping open lines of communication with rival sides including Israel, Hamas and Iran.
Trump weighs options on Iran
President Trump told Fox News that he is in a deciding mode on Iran, forecasting very big things to come in the near future as he considers his options in the war. Fox News’ Trey Yingst said he spoke with the president, who said he is considering a handful of choices, including wiping Iran out, letting them rot economically, or striking a deal. “My question is, if and when do I blow the entire nation up?
They better behave,” the president told Yingst. Yingst said the president also told him he would probably be open to meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who is expected to attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York this week.
The comments come after Mr. Trump told Axios on Thursday that he is facing a big decision on whether to annihilate the Iranian regime. The State Department warning and embassy alerts underscore the heightened risk to Americans in the region as multiple conflicts converge. What to watch next: whether Tehran’s conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz gain traction through mediators, and whether any direct contact materializes around the UN General Assembly in New York this week.
