Three diplomats said some personnel had been advised to leave the U.S. Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar by Wednesday evening.
Iran has warned the United States government that any attempt to intervene in its protests would trigger attacks on American military bases in the region, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Wednesday.
The alert comes amid mounting tensions following U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated threats to act in support of protesters, as rights groups report thousands of fatalities in Iran’s largest protests in decades, Reuters reports.
Three diplomats said some personnel had been advised to leave the U.S. Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar by Wednesday evening.
They stressed that this was a precaution rather than a full-scale evacuation like the one that preceded last year’s Iranian missile strikes.
One diplomat described the advisory as a “posture change” rather than an “ordered evacuation”.
Trump, in an interview with CBS News on Tuesday, vowed “very strong action” if Iran executes protesters.
“If they hang them, you’re going to see some things,” he said.
He also encouraged Iranians to continue protesting and to take over institutions, declaring “help is on the way”.
The senior Iranian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Tehran had asked U.S. allies to “prevent Washington from attacking Iran”.
“Tehran has told regional countries, from Saudi Arabia and UAE to Turkey, that U.S. bases in those countries will be attacked” if the U.S. targets Iran, the official said.
The official added that direct contacts between Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff had been suspended, reflecting the rising tensions.
An Israeli official said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet had been briefed on Tuesday about the possibility of regime collapse or U.S. intervention in Iran, though the scope and timing remain unclear.
Iranian state media reported that Ali Larijani, head of Iran’s top security body, had spoken to Qatar’s foreign minister, while Araqchi had contacted his counterparts in the UAE and Turkey.
Araqchi told UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed that “calm has prevailed” and Iranians were determined to defend their sovereignty and security from any foreign interference.
The flow of information from inside Iran has been limited by an internet blackout. U.S.-based HRANA rights group said it had verified 2,403 deaths among protesters and 147 among government-affiliated individuals. An Iranian official told Reuters that about 2,000 people had died.
Iranian authorities have accused the United States and Israel of instigating the unrest, which they say is carried out by “terrorists”. Visiting a Tehran prison, Iran’s chief justice said speed in judging and penalising those “who beheaded or burned people” was critical to preventing future incidents.
HRANA reported 18,137 arrests so far. State TV said a funeral procession would take place in Tehran on Wednesday for more than 100 civilians and security personnel killed in the unrest.
Pro-government rallies were held on Monday across Iran, showing continued support for the clerical establishment, and there were no indications of fractures within the security forces.
The unrest comes as Tehran is still recovering from last year’s war and the weakening of its regional influence, including setbacks to allies such as Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
When asked about “help is on its way”, Trump said reporters “would have to figure that out” and added: “The killing looks like it’s significant, but we don’t know yet for certain.” He said he would know more after receiving a report on Tuesday evening.
The U.S. the State Department on Tuesday urged American citizens to leave Iran immediately.