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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 20, 2026 2:47 PM

Energy secretary dismisses concerns that Iran could profit from US potentially un-sanctioning Iranian oil

Energy Secretary Chris Wright elaborated on the possibility of the U.S. lifting sanctions on Iranian oil already out at sea, dismissing concerns of Iran profiting from the move by arguing that the oil was “going to be monetized anyway," in a Fox News appearance Friday morning,

Asked how the administration justifies Iran monetizing oil amid the ongoing conflict. Wright insisted that the oil would have been “monetized other ways,” regardless of U.S. potentially lifting sanctions, and he echoed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s comments on Thursday that suggested Iranian oil would have been going to China.

This would be a major reversal in U.S. policy, which has sanctioned Iranian oil for decades. And – in the middle of the war – it would mean Iran stands to make more money by selling its oil to the highest bidder.

Bessent floated the possibility of this move on Fox Thursday.

Regarding the expected timeline of unsanctioned oil becoming usable supply, Wright was confident that this would happen “pretty quickly.”

“Well, with un-sanctioning, I mean within days, within three or four days that oil will start to arrive in ports and of course most refineries are near ports. So pretty quickly,” he said.

Wright also said he believes most of the unsanctioned oil would “be absorbed in the next 30 to 45 days.”

Asked about some projections that predict oil to rise beyond $180 a barrel if disruptions persist until late next month, Wright pivoted to slam the Iran’s retaliatory attacks, saying “this destruction certainly is not helpful for global oil prices” before arguing that that this further justifies the need for the U.S. military to “finish the job.”

-ABC News' Emily Chang


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