Gulf states brace as US-Iran war fears escalate ahead of elections

US orders non-essential staff out of Saudi Arabia amid military build-up and rising tensions

By LineZotpaper

Published22 October 2026

Read Time3 min

The United States has ordered non-essential government employees and their families to leave Saudi Arabia, prompting fears of a renewed all-out war between the US, Israel and Iran. The move, which Washington says is linked to growing Houthi attacks, comes as the US and Israel build up military assets in the Gulf and as both countries face elections in the coming weeks.

The Gulf region is bracing for a possible return to hostilities as the United States issued a new travel alert on Wednesday ordering non-essential US government employees and their families to leave Saudi Arabia. The US Department of State spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the order was for Saudi Arabia only, countering reports that families of embassy staff in other Gulf states were also told to leave.

Pigott stated on X that the order was a result of growing Houthi attacks. The alert follows a Middle East-wide red alert issued by Washington on Monday to US citizens in 12 countries, citing risks of potential attacks on US interests.

Concerns have mounted over the past weeks that the US and Israel may launch new strikes on Iran before or after the US midterm elections and next week’s Israeli elections. The US has been rebuilding a massive strike force in the Gulf, including a third aircraft carrier and thousands of troops, the largest US naval and air presence in the region since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Iran has warned that any attack would be met with a "devastating response" against US interests and civilian infrastructure across the region. According to reports from Iran, Tehran has activated its "Mosaic Defence" doctrine, decentralising command so that local commanders can continue operations even if central command is destroyed.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at an IDF officer graduation ceremony on Wednesday night that the Tehran regime has to be finally overthrown. Israel’s opposition leader Yair Lapid told Israeli media that "based on the information available to me, there is absolutely no reason to attack Iran or anywhere else before the elections."

French President Emmanuel Macron, on a state visit to Qatar, urged "extreme caution" to avoid escalating tensions. "No one can ignore that we are in a period that despite everything can lead to tensions: elections in Israel, the midterm elections in the United States," Macron said. He added that diplomatic efforts by Qatar and Pakistan continue to seek a breakthrough.

On Thursday, seven oil tankers caught fire or were damaged in the Strait of Hormuz after being hit by Iran or striking naval mines, Tehran said, as tensions wind upward. Iran still controls the waterway, a key leverage point in negotiations.

Analysis

Why This Matters

A return to all-out war would endanger civilians across the Middle East and disrupt global deliveries of oil, natural gas and related products.
Energy prices could spike worldwide, affecting consumers and economies already grappling with high inflation.
The timing around elections in Israel and the US raises questions about political motivations behind any military action.

Background

The current crisis stems from the resumption of US-Israeli strikes on Iran earlier this year, which began on 28 February with the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Tehran. Iran responded with attacks on Gulf states and Israel, leading to a volatile standoff. Since then, the US has steadily increased its military presence in the region while Iran has reorganised its defences. Diplomatic efforts through Qatar and Pakistan have so far failed to secure a lasting ceasefire.

Key Perspectives

US and Israel: Washington has described the latest travel alert as a precaution against Houthi attacks, but reports suggest the US and Israel have developed specific plans for new strikes on Iranian nuclear and energy facilities after the US midterms. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has called for the overthrow of Iran’s leadership. Iran: Tehran has declared that it is "100% certain" the US and Israel will attack again and has prepared a decentralised defence doctrine to ensure continued operations. The new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen in public, with reports questioning his health. France and Gulf States: French President Macron has urged caution and warned that tensions could reignite conflict. Gulf nations are particularly vulnerable, bearing the brunt of any escalation as they host foreign military bases and vital energy infrastructure.

What to Watch

The status of oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz after this week’s damage incidents.
Whether Israel launches any significant military action before its election next week.
Any further US diplomatic or military moves after the midterm elections next month.

Sources

Gulf nations brace for possible return to all-out war between US and Iran · Euronews

Checked

12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 10 supported.

Show each claim

SupportedGulf states are bracing as fears of a US-Iran war escalate ahead of elections.Euronews: “The Gulf countries and the wider Middle East are bracing for a possible resumption of hostilities in the Iran war amid multiple simultaneous warnings and media reports of increasing intensity and detail”
SupportedThe US ordered non-essential staff out of Saudi Arabia amid a military build-up and rising tensions.Euronews: “The US Department of State announced that it ordered non-essential US government employees and their families to leave Saudi Arabia”
SupportedThe order prompted fears of renewed all-out war between the US, Israel and Iran.Euronews: “a new US Department of State travel alert issued on Wednesday evening was relayed by news agencies and wider media as an urgent signal as to the imminence of war restarting”
Partly supportedBoth the US and Israel are building up military assets in the Gulf.Euronews: “a massive US military build-up in the Gulf and Israeli and Iranian armies placed on high alert”
SupportedTommy Pigott said the Saudi Arabia order was for that country only, countering reports that families in other Gulf states were also told to leave.Euronews: ““The US Department of State issued an ordered departure for non-emergency U.S. government employees and their family members in Saudi Arabia only,” as a result of the growing Houthi attacks, Pigott said in a post on X.”
SupportedThe US has been rebuilding a massive Gulf strike force, including a third aircraft carrier and thousands of troops, the largest US naval and air force in the Middle East since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.Euronews: “The US has been rebuilding a massive strike force in the Gulf by sending more military assets to the region, including a third aircraft carrier and thousands of troops, to join the largest US naval and air force in the Middle East since the invasion of Iraq in 2003.”
SupportedIran warned that an attack would be met with a “devastating response” against US interests and civilian infrastructure across the region.Euronews: “Iran has been warning for weeks that it has reorganised its defence capabilities and that any attack would be matched with what they called a devastating response against US interests and civilian infrastructure across the region”
SupportedReports from Iran said Tehran activated its “Mosaic Defence” doctrine, allowing local commanders to continue operations if central command is destroyed.Euronews: “According to reports in Iran, Tehran activated its so-called Mosaic Defence doctrine by which Iran would operate in a decentralised way, by giving local commanders a list of targets to keep fighting even if the central command is destroyed.”
SupportedYair Lapid said, “based on the information available to me, there is absolutely no reason to attack Iran or anywhere else before the elections.”Euronews: “Israel’s opposition leader Yair Lapid told the Israeli media that “based on the information available to me, there is absolutely no reason to attack Iran or anywhere else before the elections.””
SupportedMacron said, “No one can ignore that we are in a period that despite everything can lead to tensions: elections in Israel, the midterm elections in the United States,”Euronews: ““No one can ignore that we are in a period that despite everything can lead to tensions: elections in Israel, the midterm elections in the United States, and so during this time efforts and initiatives must be doubled”
SupportedOn Thursday, seven oil tankers caught fire or were damaged in the Strait of Hormuz after being hit by Iran or striking naval mines, Tehran said.Euronews: “Meanwhile on Thursday, seven oil tankers caught fire or were damaged in the Strait of Hormuz after being hit by Iran or striking naval mines, Tehran said”
Partly supportedIran still controls the Strait of Hormuz.Euronews: “Iran still asserts control over the waterway, a central point of leverage in any talks with the US over the war.”

Correction

22 October 2026An earlier version of this story presented growing Houthi attacks as a direct quote from Tommy Pigott. The source reported his explanation in indirect speech.