“The siren has been sounded, Citizens and residents are urged to remain calm and head to the nearest safe place,” the Ministry of Interior wrote in a Friday morning X post.
The warning marked one of the clearest public signs that security officials believed an immediate threat existed, prompting authorities to advise both citizens and foreign residents to seek cover without delay.
Shortly afterward, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed responsibility for the strikes through its official media channels. The organization then released an additional statement that dramatically widened the scope of its warning beyond Bahrain.
Rather than limiting its message to one country, the IRGC addressed residents across several Middle Eastern nations where American military forces maintain a presence. The statement urged civilians to distance themselves from areas connected to U.S. operations, suggesting additional attacks could be possible.
“To all citizens and residents of the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Syria: For your safety, you are urged to immediately stay away from military and security bases, facilities, and headquarters, as well as locations where U.S. forces are deployed. Do not approach any area witnessing military movements or exceptional security measures,” the message read.
The warning immediately drew attention because it named nearly every major Gulf nation that hosts American troops or military facilities, underscoring the potential for the conflict to expand well beyond a single battlefield.
The IRGC continued by cautioning civilians to avoid locations where U.S. service members might be stationed, even if those sites were not publicly identified.
“Immediately maintain a distance of at least 500 meters (1,640 feet) from any covert or concealed accommodations used by U.S. military personnel,” the message continued.
Military analysts have long noted that the United States maintains thousands of personnel throughout the Gulf region, supporting air operations, naval missions, intelligence gathering, and regional defense partnerships. Those installations have become increasingly important as instability has grown throughout the Middle East.
The Iranian statement then took another notable turn by identifying civilian properties that it claimed people should avoid. The list extended well beyond traditional military targets and referenced American-owned commercial interests.
“These locations include American hotels, American banks, American companies, high-rise towers, properties owned by the Trump family, and investments associated with them,” it concluded.
The inclusion of commercial businesses and properties connected to President Donald Trump represented a significant expansion of the IRGC’s public messaging and is likely to intensify security concerns across the region.
The developments come as U.S. military forces remain on elevated alert amid an increasingly volatile security environment. American installations throughout the Gulf have strengthened defensive measures in recent weeks while regional governments continue monitoring the possibility of additional missile or drone attacks.
Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet, has long served as one of Washington’s most strategically important partners in the Persian Gulf. Any direct threat against the kingdom carries implications far beyond its borders because of its critical role in supporting American naval operations and regional security.
As governments across the Middle East assess the latest developments, security officials are expected to closely monitor whether Iran’s latest warnings are followed by additional military action. For now, residents in several Gulf nations remain on alert as regional leaders work to contain a rapidly evolving crisis that continues to raise fears of a broader confrontation involving American forces.
