US-Iran strike risk rises
Araghchi stressed Iran’s readiness to respond decisively to any “aggression,” and the warning came as Israel raised alert and readiness amid assessments that US President Donald Trump is close to deciding to resume military strikes against Iran.
ABC News & Headlines – Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Jerusalem Post said Israeli officials told the paper, “we are on high alert and awaiting the president’s final decision,” while CBS reported that the United States and Israel are planning what would be one of the to date against energy infrastructure targets in Iran, with strikes possible throughout the weekend.
CBS also said U.S. embassies in several Middle Eastern capitals, including Jerusalem and Baghdad, warned American citizens on Saturday to beware an “unforeseen escalation” and urged them to be ready to leave.
In parallel, The Independent reported that Trump told a cabinet meeting on Friday, “We will be hitting them very hard,” as Iran warned that any further “adventurous action” would be met with a “decisive and proportional response.”
Threats, warnings, and alerts
Israel’s heightened posture was paired with uncertainty over whether it would be pulled into any initial phase, as The Jerusalem Post reported an Israeli official told CBS that “Israel is not aware of a decision to fully resume military activity, and has not been asked to join any military action against Iran.”
The same reporting said the US Embassy updated its travel advisory, recommending that US citizens in Israel consider leaving due to rising tensions or be prepared to depart if an escalation occurs.
In Iran’s messaging, Araghchi warned that Iran would respond decisively and proportionally to “any aggression” from the US, Israel or other countries in the region, and CNN said Araghchi held separate calls with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Pakistan’s Field Marshal Asim Munir.
The Independent added that Trump said new strikes could take place as soon as this weekend, while it quoted Araghchi warning that any such “adventurous action” by the US or Israel would be met with a “decisive and proportional response.”
Meanwhile, CNN reported that the State Department issued a fresh travel warning to Americans in the Middle East, saying they should consider departing now as Tehran issued new threats to countries that host US bases.
Energy, shipping, and retaliation
In the Strait of Hormuz, CBS said the British Navy reported a tanker was struck and a separate explosion hit close to a vessel, while the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Organization said an unknown projectile hit a vessel on Friday 11 nautical miles northeast of Lima, Oman.
The Independent reported that Kuwait’s armed forces intercepted drone threats in its airspace early Saturday morning local time, and it tied the broader escalation to Trump’s threat that the US would continue hitting Iran “very hard.”
Iran’s warnings also extended to the wider region, as The Times of Israel reported Araghchi warned in calls that any “aggression” by the US and Israel would be met by Iran’s readiness to respond decisively.
With the conflict framed as capable of triggering wider consequences, The Times of Israel said Israel’s assessments hold that any American attack on Iran could trigger missile fire toward Israel, even if the US does not ask the IDF to participate, while Ynetnews said Seyed Mohammad Marandi warned Gulf states to prepare for “immediate evacuation.”