Gulf hotels housing US troops will be targeted, Iran warns
What's the story
Iran's military has issued a warning that hotels housing United States soldiers in the region are now legitimate targets in its conflict with the US and Israel. Armed forces spokesman Abolfazl Shekarchi said on state television, "When all the Americans (forces) go into a hotel, then from our perspective that hotel becomes American." He added, "Should we just stand by and let the Americans strike us? When we respond, naturally we have to strike wherever they are."
War escalation
War between Iran and Israel, US escalates
The conflict started after Israel and the United States struck Iran on February 28, killing its supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. This attack triggered a war across the Middle East, with Iran retaliating through drone and missile attacks on Israeli and US interests in the region.
Accusations made
US accused of using civilians as human shields
On Thursday, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused US soldiers of using civilians in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries as "human shields." "From the outset of this war, US soldiers fled military bases in the GCC to hide in hotels and offices," he said in a post on X. Araghchi also called on hotels in the region to deny these bookings.
Hotel warnings
Iran's warnings to Gulf states' hotels
According to Fars news agency, Iran has sent "firm warnings" to hotels in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. The report also said that Iran's military has identified US forces using similar locations in Syria, Lebanon, and Djibouti. The NYT earlier reported that Iran's repeated missile and drone strikes on American military bases in the Middle East have left installations "largely uninhabitable." This has forced US troops to relocate to makeshift facilities like hotels and office spaces, the report said.