Iran’s military has cautioned that hotels accommodating American troops across the Middle East may be considered legitimate targets amid the ongoing conflict involving the United States and Israel.
Speaking on state television, armed forces spokesman Abolfazl Shekarchi said any facility hosting US personnel would be treated as an extension of American military presence.
“If US forces choose to stay in hotels, those locations effectively become American positions,” he said, adding that Iran would respond to attacks by targeting wherever such forces are located.
Tensions escalated following joint strikes by the United States and Israel on February 28, which reportedly killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and ignited a broader regional conflict. Since then, Iran has launched retaliatory drone and missile attacks against Israeli and US-linked targets.
Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, also accused US troops of using civilians in Gulf Cooperation Council countries as “human shields.” In a post on X, he alleged that American personnel had abandoned military bases to take refuge in hotels and office buildings, urging hospitality providers in the region to deny them accommodation.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Fars news agency reported that authorities had issued stern warnings to hotels, particularly in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, over hosting US forces. Similar activities involving American troops were also reported in Syria, Lebanon, and Djibouti.
Iran has repeatedly accused neighbouring countries of enabling US military operations from their territories—claims that Gulf states have consistently denied, maintaining that they would not allow their land or airspace to be used for attacks against Iran.
