• Video
  • Shop
  • Culture
  • Family
  • Wellness
  • Food
  • Living
  • Style
  • Travel
  • News
  • Book Club
  • Newsletter
  • Privacy Policy
  • Your US State Privacy Rights
  • Children's Online Privacy Policy
  • Interest-Based Ads
  • Terms of Use
  • Do Not Sell My Info
  • Contact Us
  • © 2026 ABC News
ABC News

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 22, 2026 2:32 PM

'Iran endangers the entire world,' Netanyahu says

During a visit Sunday to the site of an Iranian missile strike in Arad, in southern Israel, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the strikes were "proof that Iran endangers the entire world."

“If you want proof that Iran endangers the entire world, the last 48 hours have given it. In the last 48 hours, Iran targeted a civilian area. They're doing that as a mass murder weapon. Luckily, no one was killed, but that's due to luck, not their intention. Their intention is to murder civilians," Netanyahu said.

PHOTO: An infographic titled 'Diego Garcia Base' created in Ankara, Turkey, on March 21, 2026.
Mehmet Yaren Bozgun/Anadolu via Getty Images
An infographic titled 'Diego Garcia Base' created in Ankara, Turkey, on March 21, 2026. The island, the largest in the Chagos Archipelago in the central Indian Ocean, has hosted a joint US-UK military presence since the 1970s and serves as a base for long-range bombers and other strategic assets.
Mehmet Yaren Bozgun/Anadolu via Getty Images

Netanyahu also noted Friday morning's reported launch of two ballistic missiles at a joint U.S.-U.K. military base on the island of Diego Garcia, in the Indian Ocean, some 2,000 miles south of Iran. Neither of the missiles struck the base, nor is it clear how far the missiles traveled.

"I've been warning all the time. They have now the capacity to reach deep into Europe," Netanyahu said, in part. "They are putting everyone in their sights."

"What more proof do you need that this regime that threatens the entire world has to be stopped?" Netanyahu said. "Israel and the United States are working together for the entire world. And it's time to see the leaders of the rest of the countries join up."

-ABC News' Jordana Miller


GMA Newsletters

Sign up for our newsletters to get GMA delivered to your inbox every morning!

Up Next in news

PHOTO: People enjoy the beach at Jones Beach State Park, in Wantagh, New York.

Rip current risk at onset of Memorial Day Weekend: How to stay safe

May 22, 2026
PHOTO: Sharks Now A Common Sight On The Cape

What to know about 'Lulu's Law' requiring emergency shark attack notifications

May 21, 2026
PHOTO: Bert Gor and his daughter are speaking out after they say they were victims of an AI scam by a Lyft driver.

Father, daughter speak after Lyft driver is accused of using AI-generated image for damage claim

May 20, 2026

The latest lifestyle and entertainment news and inspiration for how to live your best life - all from Good Morning America.
  • Contests
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Do Not Sell My Info
  • Children’s Online Privacy Policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Your US State Privacy Rights
  • Interest-Based Ads
  • About Nielsen Measurement
  • Press
  • Feedback
  • Shop FAQs
  • ABC News
  • ABC
  • All Videos
  • All Topics
  • Sitemap

© 2026 ABC News
  • Privacy Policy— 
  • Your US State Privacy Rights— 
  • Children's Online Privacy Policy— 
  • Interest-Based Ads— 
  • Terms of Use— 
  • Do Not Sell My Info— 
  • Contact Us— 

© 2026 ABC News