The Middle East is facing an unprecedented regional war after tensions between Washington and Tehran reached a critical point. As of 5:33 am Bulgarian time on August 2, 2026, diplomatic and military maneuvers point to an imminent large-scale escalation.
Iran threatens strikes outside the Persian Gulf
The Islamic Republic has announced its readiness for severe “retaliatory” measures if the US launches new air strikes against its facilities. According to official statements by Iranian officials, quoted in Iranian media outlets such as Tasnim News and the BBC (bbc.com), Tehran will not limit its response to the Persian Gulf. The Iranian armed forces have warned that they will directly attack all US military bases in the region, as well as the sources of the attacks themselves, regardless of their location.
Riyadh calls on Trump to abandon the attacks
In an attempt to prevent a full-scale catastrophe, Saudi Arabia has intervened diplomatically. The influential American publication Axios (axios.com) revealed that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had an urgent phone call with US President Donald Trump. Riyadh has called on the White House to abandon plans for massive strikes against Iranian energy infrastructure. Saudi leaders are urging de-escalation, fearing Iranian counterattacks on Gulf oil fields that could cripple the global economy.
State Department advises Americans to leave
Against these events, the US State Department has issued an emergency security alert. Washington has officially recommended that all US citizens in the Middle East seriously consider leaving the region while commercial flights are still available. According to reports by NBC News (nbcnews.com) and ABC News (abcnews4.com), US diplomatic missions in ten countries (including Israel, Jordan, Kuwait and the UAE) have raised their alert levels due to the risk of airspace closures and unpredictable military action.