After Trump threats, Iran warns neighbours

Tehran has warned neighbours hosting US troops that it would hit American bases if Washington strikes, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Wednesday, as Iran seeks to deter Donald Trump’s threats to intervene on behalf of protesters.
Three diplomats said some personnel had been advised to leave the main US air base in the region, although there were no immediate signs of a large-scale evacuation of troops as took place in the hours before an Iranian missile attack last year.
Trump has repeatedly threatened to intervene in support of protesters in Iran, where a rights group said 2,600 people have been killed in a crackdown on one of the biggest ever waves of protest against clerical rule.
According to an Israeli assessment, Trump has decided to intervene, although the scope and timing of this action remains unclear, an Israeli official said.
In an interview with CBS News on Tuesday, Trump vowed “very strong action” if Iran executes protesters. “If they hang them, you’re going to see some things,” he said. He also urged Iranians on Tuesday to keep protesting and take over institutions, declaring “help is on the way”.
The Iranian official, a senior figure speaking on condition of anonymity, said Tehran had asked US allies in the region to “prevent Washington from attacking Iran”.
“Tehran has told regional countries, from Saudi Arabia and UAE to Turkey, that US bases in those countries will be attacked” if the US targets Iran, the official said.
The official added that direct contacts between Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff had been suspended.