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Iran has warned U.S. allies in the Middle East it will strike U.S. bases on their soil if Washington attacks Iran, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Wednesday.
The warning came following U.S. President Donald Trump's threats to intervene in support of protesters amid rising death tolls from nationwide unrest.
"We will take very strong action. If they do such a thing, we will take very strong action," Trump said in an interview with CBS News, adding that, "We don't want to see what's happening in Iran happen. And you know, if they want to have protests, that's one thing, but when they start killing thousands of people, and now you're telling me about hanging—we'll see how that works out for them. It's not going to work out well."
"Tehran has told regional countries, from Saudi Arabia and the UAE to Türkiye, that U.S. bases in those countries will be attacked" if the U.S. targets Iran, the official said on condition of anonymity.
The Iranian official said Tehran had asked U.S. allies in the region to "prevent Washington from attacking Iran."
"Direct contacts between Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff have been suspended, reflecting mounting tensions," the Iranian official added.
The death toll from Iran's unrest climbed to 2,550, including 2,403 protesters and 147 security personnel and government supporters, the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported.
On the 17th day of nationwide protests, 614 protest gatherings were recorded in 187 cities covering all 31 provinces. A total of 18,434 arrests were reported, along with 1,134 cases of severe injury and 97 instances of forced broadcast confessions.
However, no comprehensive official figure exists about casualties from these protests.
The communication blackout in Iran remains in place, reaching 132 hours without internet, according to Netblocks.
Trump announced 25% import tariffs on Monday on products from any country doing business with Iran, a major oil exporter.
The U.S. State Department also urged American citizens to leave Iran now, including by land through Türkiye or Armenia.
Protests have swept Tehran and other Iranian cities since late last month over worsening economic conditions. Iranian government officials accused the US and Israel of backing what they describe as "riots" and "terrorism."
According to an Israeli assessment, Trump has decided to intervene, but the scope and timing remain unclear, an Israeli official speaking to Reuters said.
A second Israeli source, a government official, said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's security cabinet was briefed late Tuesday about the chances of regime collapse or U.S. intervention in Iran, an arch-foe with which Israel fought a 12-day war last year.
The United States has forces across the region, including in Bahrain, home to the headquarters of the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet, and Qatar, which hosts Al Udeid Air Base—the forward headquarters for U.S. Central Command.
Iran fired missiles at Al Udeid last year in retaliation for U.S. airstrikes on its nuclear installations.
Some personnel have been advised to leave the U.S. military's Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar by Wednesday evening, three diplomats told Reuters, amid warnings that Washington could intervene to protect protesters in Iran.
Al Udeid is the Middle East's largest U.S. base, housing around 10,000 troops.
"It's a posture change and not an ordered evacuation," one diplomat told Reuters, adding he was not aware that a specific reason had been given for the posture change.
Last year, more than a week before the U.S. launched airstrikes on Iran, some personnel and families were moved off U.S. bases in the Middle East. After the U.S. attacks in June, Iran launched a missile attack on the base in Qatar.
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