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By Shane Croucher
Senior Editor
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The U.S. Embassy in Qatar warned American citizens to "shelter in place until further notice," as Iran vows to hit back against the United States for its strikes on nuclear facilities.
The embassy stated in its June 23 alert that it was acting "out of an abundance of caution," but provided no further details. It follows a global security alert issued by the State Department.
Americans are facing an increased global threat after the U.S. entered the Israel-Iran conflict, an escalation that risks dragging the Middle East into a regional war. The U.S. has a number of military bases in the Middle East that are on high alert in anticipation of attacks by Iran or its proxies.
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Qatar is home to the Al Udeid Air Base, the largest U.S. air base in the Middle East. An earlier alert from the embassy in Qatar warned Al Udeid personnel to "exercise increased vigilance" and said access to the base had been temporarily restricted.
Iran Threatens 'Heavy' Operations
The White House has urged Iran to return to diplomacy, saying its strikes on three nuclear sites—Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz—were targeted and limited.
Israel and the U.S. say they had to act to prevent Iran from building a nuclear bomb with its stockpile of highly-enriched uranium. Iran, which said it has not sought a nuclear weapon, has promised a tough response to American intervention.
Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesperson for Iran's military central command, said the U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear sites expand the "scope of legitimate and diverse targets" and threatened that Iran will launch "powerful operations with heavy, regretful, and unpredicted consequences."
Tehran branded Washington "Criminal America" for "trespassing upon Iran's sacred soil" and accused it of abetting Israel.
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State Department Security Alert
The State Department issued a worldwide security alert to U.S. citizens on June 22.
"The conflict between Israel and Iran has resulted in disruptions to travel and periodic closure of airspace across the Middle East," the alert said.
"There is the potential for demonstrations against U.S. citizens and interests abroad. The Department of State advises U.S. citizens worldwide to exercise increased caution."
Iran 'Killed Numerous Americans' for Decades
Dorothy Shea, the acting U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said at a Security Council meeting on Sunday that the strikes had the "aim of dismantling Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity and stopping the nuclear threat posed by the world's foremost state sponsor of terror."
"This operation sought to eliminate a long-standing but rapidly escalating source of global insecurity and to aid our ally Israel in our inherent right of collective self-defense consistent with the U.N. Charter," Shea said.
She continued: "For 40 years, the Iranian government has called for 'Death to America' and 'Death to Israel' and posed a constant menace to the peace and security of its neighbors, the United States, and the entire world.
"Iran has attacked Israel with hundreds of ballistic missiles and through terrorist proxies.
"For decades, Iran has been responsible for misery and countless deaths across the Middle East. Iran's government and its proxies have also killed numerous Americans, including American service members in Iraq and Afghanistan."
Update 6/23/25, 10:31 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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