The State Department has cautioned about potential “unforeseen escalation” after Iranian retaliatory strikes killed American troops
Published 18 Jul, 2026 22:16
| Updated 18 Jul, 2026 22:30
© X / TravelGov
The US State Department has issued a worldwide security warning urging Americans to exercise increased caution amid fears of further escalation in Washington’s renewed war with Iran.
“Due to heightened tensions in the Middle East, the security environment remains complex with the potential for unforeseen escalation,” the department said on Saturday, advising US citizens worldwide – and particularly those in the region – to monitor breaking developments and follow instructions issued by the nearest American embassy or consulate.
The warning noted that flight cancellations and periodic airspace closures could cause travel disruptions. It also said that US diplomatic facilities had been targeted, including those outside the Middle East, and warned that groups supportive of Iran could attack “other US interests overseas or locations associated with the United States and/or Americans throughout the world.”
The alert came hours after US Central Command confirmed that two American service members had been killed in Jordan on Friday as US and allied forces defended against Iranian ballistic missiles and drones. The deaths brought the total number of officially confirmed American fatalities since the US-Israeli war against Iran began in February to 16.
US President Donald Trump offered only a brief response when asked about the deaths.
“It’s very sad, it’s a very sad thing. We hate to see it happen. It’s in service to our country,” he said, before reiterating that Washington would “never” allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon.
CENTCOM announced a new round of strikes later than usual on Saturday evening, after remaining silent for much of the day. The command said US forces began attacking Iran at 6pm Eastern Time at Trump’s direction, marking an eighth consecutive night of operations. It said the strikes were intended to “swiftly punish” IRGC forces responsible for attacks on American service members in Jordan the previous night.
Iran has carried out near-daily retaliatory missile and drone attacks on US military facilities across the Middle East since Washington resumed large-scale strikes earlier this month. Tehran has targeted bases and other American-linked facilities in Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Oman, as well as in Iraq and Syria.
Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei vowed to teach the US an “unforgettable lesson” in a written statement on Saturday, after Tehran repeatedly warned that the “entire region will pay the price” for American attacks on Iran’s civilian infrastructure.
Now that the American enemy is seeking to escalate the conflict thereby incurring even heavier costs and further humiliation, it should know that the noble nation of Iran and the Resistance Front have unforgettable lessons in store for it.
— Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei (@MKhamenei_ir) July 18, 2026
The Iranian Health Ministry said on Saturday that US strikes between June 27 and July 18 had killed 50 people, including women and children, and injured more than 500. An estimated 3,500 Iranians were killed in the first round of attacks launched in February, while Israeli operations in Lebanon reportedly claimed another 4,300 lives.
