– The Washington Times
Iran on Wednesday warned neighboring countries hosting U.S. forces that it would launch strikes on American military bases if Washington attacks, according to a new report.
Citing three unnamed diplomatic sources, Reuters reported Wednesday that some U.S. personnel at the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, which houses 10,000 troops, had been advised to leave the area by the end of the day.
The revelation follows comments from President Trump on Tuesday that the U.S. would intervene in Iran if the regime begins to execute protesters. Iranian authorities reportedly have killed thousands of protesters, according to some estimates.
Mr. Trump told Iranian protesters to “take over” governmental institutions on Tuesday and said “help is on its way,” without specifying what U.S. intervention in the region would look like.
Tehran launched a telegraphed missile attack on the Al Udeid Air Base in June after U.S. forces bombed three of Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities. During that attack, U.S. forces at the base were moved off the base before the strikes. There is no evidence that such movements are happening this week.
The threat of military strikes comes as Iran tries to quell nationwide protests that have been raging for weeks. Reports have indicated that Iranian security forces have used automatic weapons and sniper rifles against protesters, resulting in more than 2,000 deaths.
Still, it is unclear if Tehran is nearing collapse. Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, who met with Iranian officials in Tehran this week, said the facts on the ground are far less extreme than what has been reported in the Western press and the regime is completely intact.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reportedly also met with Turkish and United Arab Emirates officials this week. According to state-affiliated media, Mr. Aragchi told UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed that “calm has prevailed” in Iran, suggesting the worst of the protests could be over.
But further violent retaliation against demonstrators could inflame tensions. Iran’s judiciary has made it clear that punishments for those arrested during the protests would be carried out swiftly.
Erfan Soltani, a 26-year-old arrested in connection with the demonstrations, was expected to be executed Wednesday, though an internet blackout in Iran has made verifying his status difficult.
• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.
