US warns its citizens to ‘leave Iran now’; is a strike imminent? – The Times of India

The United States has issued an urgent advisory asking its citizens in Iran to leave the country immediately, hours after US President Donald Trump issued a fresh warning directed at Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.The advisory comes at a time when Iran is still recovering from massive protests that had shaken Tehran in recent months, adding to concerns over rising tensions in the region.Ahead of planned US–Iran talks in Oman, Trump warned that Iran “should be very worried,” pointing to the movement of a US naval “armada” toward the Middle East and reiterating threats of possible military action.The US advisory, issued in an unusually urgent tone, cautioned American citizens about potential flight disruptions and advised those unable to leave immediately to seek secure shelter and stock up on essential supplies, including food, water and medicines.

US-Iran’s Oman talks

The United States and Iran are set to hold talks in Oman over Tehran’s nuclear programme and other contentious issues, as tensions between the two countries continue to rise.The talks, confirmed late Wednesday by both sides, are scheduled to take place on Friday in Muscat. US President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are expected to lead their respective delegations, with Oman once again playing the role of mediator between the long-time adversaries.Ahead of the talks, Trump launched a stark warning for Khamenei, stating, “I would say he should be very worried, yeah. He should be,” CNN reported, quoting Trump’s interview with NBC News.“They’re negotiating,” Trump said on Thursday, referring to Iran. He added that Tehran was seeking to avoid military action, noting, “They don’t want us to hit them, we have a big fleet going there,” including an aircraft carrier group, “armada.”

Military action or peaceful diplomacy?

Iran’s state news agency IRNA reported late Thursday that Araghchi had arrived in Muscat for the talks. Iran’s foreign ministry said Thursday evening it had a “responsibility not to miss any opportunity to use diplomacy” to preserve peace, adding it hoped Washington would participate “with responsibility, realism and seriousness.”US vice president JD Vance, speaking in an interview broadcast on Wednesday, said the administration would keep military options on the table.“He is going to talk to everybody, he is going to try to accomplish what he can through non-military means, and if he feels like the military is the only option, then he is ultimately going to choose that,” Vance said.The diplomatic push comes after weeks of escalating rhetoric between Washington and Tehran, with Trump repeatedly warning that unless Iran agrees to a deal on its nuclear program, “bad things” could happen.CNN reported Iran has conditionally agreed to hold talks with the US to avert the threat of further military strikes.

Tehran’s military preparedness amid US threats

In Iran, senior commanders highlighted new missile upgrades and a shift in posture. Iranian state broadcaster Press TV reported that on Wednesday, chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces, Abdolrahim Mousavi, made the comments during a visit to an IRGC missile facility alongside IRGC Aerospace Force commander Brigadier General Majid Mousavi.“By upgrading its ballistic missiles in all technical dimensions, Iran has been able to strengthen its deterrence power,” Mousavi said, according to Press TV.He added, “Following the 12-day war, we have changed our military doctrine from defensive to offensive by adopting the policy of asymmetric warfare and [boosting readiness for a] crushing response to the enemies,” Press TV reported.Iran has also warned it would retaliate if attacked. “We are ready to defend, and it is the US president who must choose between compromise or war,” state television on Thursday quoted army spokesman General Mohammad Akraminia as saying, adding Iran has “easy” access to US regional bases.

US-Iran escalating tensions

“Iran continues to show inflexibility toward addressing US demands, which reduces the likelihood that Iran and the United States will be able to reach a diplomatic solution,” the US-based Institute for the Study of War said.Iran has insisted for decades that its nuclear program is peaceful, though its officials have increasingly threatened to pursue a nuclear weapon. Iran now enriches uranium to near weapons-grade levels of 60 per cent, the only country in the world without a nuclear weapons programme to do so.