Middle East war latest: Americans in the region ‘at risk’ of being kidnapped

Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted an area in Beirut’s southern suburbs, Lebanon, on March 13, 2026. Picture: Fadel itani / AFP) Here is the latest from the war in the Middle East: The US embassy in Baghdad has warned of a “risk of kidnapping” for its citizens in Iraq, as the Middle East war threatens American interests across the region. “Iran and Iran-aligned terrorist militia groups pose a significant threat to public safety in Iraq,” the embassy said in a statement on its website Thursday.

“There have been attacks against U.S. citizens, U.S. interests, and critical infrastructure,” it said, adding: “Americans also face risk of kidnapping.” Last week the US urged its nationals to leave Iraq, after it launched strikes with Israel against Iran on February 28.

Huge explosions rocked central Tehran on Friday, according to Iranian state television, which added that strikes had hit an area not far from where a pro-government demonstration was being held. Earlier, state TV broadcast images of crowds gathering in Tehran and other major cities to mark Quds Day, the last Friday of Ramadan, in support of the Palestinian cause. The Israeli military on Friday warned it would strike two areas in the Iranian capital Tehran, Villa and Moniriyeh, and told residents to evacuate.

[paywall]

“In the coming hours, the IDF will operate in these areas, as it has in recent days across Iran, to strike military infrastructure belonging to the Iranian regime. Dear citizens, for your safety and well-being, we ask that you immediately evacuate the marked area,” the army posted on its Persian-language account on X, attaching maps of the affected neighbourhoods. The Israeli military said it launched a new wave of strikes in Tehran on Friday morning, on the 14th day of its campaign against the Islamic Republic. “The IDF has just begun a wide-scale wave of strikes targeting infrastructure of the Iranian terror regime across Tehran,” the military said.

[/paywall]