The United States and United Kingdom have evacuated some personnel from a military base in Qatar amid concerns over potential military action against Iran, though tensions appeared to ease on Wednesday night. A US official described the withdrawal as a precaution, while diplomats confirmed that some forces had been advised to leave the al-Udeid base. The UK is also withdrawing staff from the facility, the Guardian understands.
In the early hours of Thursday, Iran closed its airspace to almost all flights for a little over two hours, according to the flight-tracking website Flightradar24. This followed Lufthansa's announcement that its flights would avoid Iranian and Iraqi airspace “until further notice” due to the current situation in the Middle East, potentially causing some cancellations.
US President Donald Trump stated that he had been told “on good authority” that plans for executions in Iran had stopped, despite evidence to the contrary. He said military action remained on the table and that he would wait for Iran's next steps. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi insisted the situation was “under control” and urged diplomacy, warning that high tension would be “catastrophic for everyone”.
Iranian officials have previously warned the US not to intervene in nationwide protests, as Trump reviews options for a strike. A senior Iranian official said Iran had told regional countries hosting US bases, such as Saudi Arabia and Turkey, that it would attack those bases in the event of a US strike. Israeli assessments indicate Trump has decided to intervene, but the form and scale of military action remain unclear.
Defying Trump's threats, Iran's judicial chief signalled that detained protesters would face speedy trials and executions. Human rights groups warned that executions could take place soon, with protester Erfan Soltani's execution reportedly postponed without explanation. Neighbouring countries, including Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, have reportedly discouraged US intervention, warning it could ignite a “full-scale war” with severe consequences for the Middle East and global economy.
