The Trump administration has placed all US embassy and consular posts on alert as Washington braces for retaliatory strikes by Iran.
In a directive sent on Tuesday, March 17, the State Department instructed that ‘ALL posts worldwide’ must urgently reassess their security posture, a rare move that underscores the growing concern that the conflict could spill far beyond the region.
The cable warned of ‘the ongoing and developing situation in the Middle East and the potential for spill-over effects,’ signaling that US officials now see the threat as global and not confined to traditional hotspots.
Signed by Rubio and issued under the authority of Undersecretary for Management Jason Evans, the directive orders every diplomatic mission to convene Emergency Action Committees – specialized teams tasked with identifying threats, coordinating responses, and preparing for worst-case scenarios.
The cable instructs diplomatic posts to share any credible threats with American citizens under the department’s ‘no double standards’ policy, ensuring that warnings given to staff are also communicated to the public.
While heightened alerts have been issued in the Middle East in recent weeks, Tuesday’s order marks the first time in the current crisis that all US diplomatic posts worldwide have been told to review their defenses simultaneously.
The escalation comes as US embassies and facilities have already come under repeated attack.
Since the start of the US-Israeli bombing campaign on February 28, Iran and its proxy groups have targeted American diplomatic sites across the region, forcing temporary closures and evacuations in several countries.
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