US President Donald Trump cut short his stay at Camp David on Sunday and returned to the White House. Simultaneously, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth departed a sports event in Texas to make a swift return to the capital, as the US prepared for potential wide-ranging military strikes against the Houthis in Yemen.
Hegseth left a college football game at Texas A&M University, while an official delegation in Copenhagen was recalled directly to the capital. According to a report on CNN by Alex Plitsas, the US was weighing extensive operations against Ansar Allah (the Houthis), in retaliation for rebel strikes inside Saudi Arabia. The kingdom has struggled to counter the Iranian-backed Yemeni rebels, to the point that it has approached Israel to enhance its defensive capabilites.
CNN National Security Analyst Alex Plitsas confirmed on X that the presidential session focused on reviewing strike options following a missile assault directed at Riyadh. "As I said last night, was told that the POTUS meeting at Camp David was to deliberate and review Yemen strike options. Today, U.S. embassies in Middle Eastern countries that are likely to be targets of retaliatory strikes issued warnings. Now POTUS head to the White House early," he wrote on X.
Alongside the emergency measures in Washington, the State Department issued a rare worldwide travel alert and updated security guidance for Americans in the Middle East. "Due to tensions in the Middle East, the security environment remains complex with the potential for unforeseen escalation," the official announcement stated. Administration officials said Iran-backed rebels had attacked targets in Saudi Arabia, including civilian airports, warning explicitly, "This military conflict has the potential to escalate rapidly."
The administration urged American citizens in the region to maintain heightened vigilance, monitor flight schedules, and prepare for potential sudden cancellations or airspace closures. Officials also advised citizens outside the region to reconsider any travel to or transit through the area.
Government sources emphasized that US diplomatic facilities have been targeted in the past, warning that Iran and its proxies could attempt to attack American missions, businesses, and interests globally.
Alert levels were also raised in Israel. The US Embassy in Jerusalem stated that consular services in the capital and at the Tel Aviv branch continue to operate normally. However, the embassy urged citizens to verify flight statuses at Ben Gurion and Haifa airports, locate their nearest bomb shelter or safe room, and download the Home Front Command app for real-time alerts. Citizens were also instructed to stock up on water, food, and essential medications, and to stay away from demonstrations and large gatherings.
Separately, European nations have been sounding the alarm on what appears to be potential Russian preparations for another incursion into Europe.
On Wednesday, Finnish President Alexander Stubb urged his country's citizens to "prepare mentally for something to happen." On Friday, after convening French party leaders in the crisis room at the Élysée Palace, President Emmanuel Macron said, "In recent weeks, the threat, particularly the Russian hybrid threat, facing Europeans and France has intensified."
The clearest warnings came from Poland, one of NATO's most prepared countries on its eastern flank. Prime Minister Donald Tusk delivered a special address Thursday to the Sejm, Poland's lower house of parliament, on the 87th anniversary of the Soviet invasion of Poland.
"According to intelligence assessments, the Russian plan also includes hybrid strikes using drones and missiles against countries supporting Ukraine, including Poland," Tusk said.
