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State Department tells Americans worldwide to 'exercise increased caution'

PHOTO: This video grab taken from handout footage released by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on March 12, 2026, shows what it says was the "launch of wave #41 of Iranian missiles."
3:37
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps via AFP via Getty Images
War with Iran enters 4th week
By Kevin Shalvey, Jon Haworth, Nadine El-Bawab, Meredith Deliso
Last Updated: March 23, 2026, 7:54 AM

President Donald Trump announced "major combat operations" against Iran on Feb. 28, with massive joint U.S.-Israel strikes attack targeting military and government sites, officials said.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was among those killed in Tehran on the first day of strikes and his son Mojtaba Khamenei  was chosen to succeed him. Iran is responding with missile and drone attacks targeting Israel, regional U.S. bases and multiple Gulf nations. Iran is also attempting to block some shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

Israel is also intensifying its long-running strike campaign against the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon.

Watch special coverage on Nightline, "War with Iran," each night on ABC and streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.

Key Headlines

  • Strait of Hormuz 'is not closed,' Iranian foreign minister says
  • Iran says Strait of Hormuz open to all except 'enemies,' state media, Iranian president say
  • 'Iran endangers the entire world,' Netanyahu says
  • Iran warns of retaliatory strikes if US attacks power plants, state media says
  • Trump threatens to 'hit and obliterate' Iranian power plants if Strait of Hormuz not opened in 48 hours
Here's how the news is developing.

Mar 23, 2026 7:54 AM

Israel launches new wave of strikes in Tehran

The Israel Defense Forces said in a post to X on Monday that it had launched "a widespread wave of attacks" against Iranian government infrastructure in the capital Tehran.

PHOTO: A car drives past a giant billboard in the Valiasr Square in Tehran, Iran, on March 22, 2026.
-/AFP via Getty Images
A car drives past a giant billboard in the Valiasr Square in Tehran, Iran, on March 22, 2026.
-/AFP via Getty Images

Mar 23, 2026 7:54 AM

State Department tells Americans worldwide to 'exercise increased caution'

In a notice on the U.S. State Department official website, the agency is advising Americans worldwide, "and especially in the Middle East," to "exercise increased caution."

"Americans abroad should follow the guidance in security alerts issued by the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate," the statement reads.

The State Department is warning that U.S. diplomatic facilities, including those outside of the Middle East, "have been targeted."

The agency warns that groups in support of Iran "may target other U.S. interests overseas or locations associated with the United States and/or Americans throughout the world."


Mar 22, 2026 11:56 PM

1 injured due to missile debris in Abu Dhabi

Officials in Abu Dhabi said in a statement that one person was injured due to falling debris from a missile attack in the Al Shoamkh area.

UAE air defences responded to incoming missile and drone threats from Iran, officials said.



Mar 23, 2026 7:54 AM

Israeli forces preparing to 'deepen the maneuver' in Lebanon

The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement that it's planning to "deepen" its military actions against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

"We are now preparing to deepen the maneuver and strikes according to an orderly plan. We will not stop until the threat is removed from the borders and long-term security is ensured for the residents of the northern region," the IDF said.

"It is a long battle, and we are prepared for it," the IDF added.

Further details about the operation were not provided.


Mar 19, 2026 10:23 AM

Drone hits Saudi Red Sea refinery

An Iranian drone struck a Saudi Aramco refinery in Yanbu, on the Red Sea, on Thursday, according to the Saudi Ministry of Defense.

"A drone fell in the Samref refinery and the damage is being assessed," the ministry said in a statement.

PHOTO: This handout satellite image taken by 2026 Planet Labs PBC shows the oil infrastructure at Saudi Arabia's western Red Sea port of Yanbu on March 4, 2026.
2026 Planet Labs PBC/AFP via Getty Images
This handout satellite image taken by 2026 Planet Labs PBC shows the oil infrastructure at Saudi Arabia's western Red Sea port of Yanbu on March 4, 2026.
2026 Planet Labs PBC/AFP via Getty Images

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had issued warnings for several Gulf energy production sites, including the refinery in Yanbu, after Wednesday’s Israeli strikes on the South Pars Gas Field, the largest in Iran.

Kuwait earlier on Thursday said an Iranian drone had struck one of its refineries.

-ABC News' Lama Hasan and Zoe Magee


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