Americans in Qatar warned to 'shelter in place'
Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani (R) and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani (L), in Doha in Qatar in May. Photo by Qatari Amiri Diwan Office/ UPI. | License Photo
June 23 (UPI) -- The U.S. Embassy in Qatar issued a security alert Monday urging American citizens to shelter in place due to the conflict between Israel and Iran.
"Out of an abundance of caution we recommend American citizens shelter in place until further notice," the embassy said in a security alert.
The alert did not offer more related details, but the U.S. State Department put out a security alert Sunday that warned that there's "potential for demonstrations against U.S. citizens and interests abroad."
"The Department of State advises U.S. citizens worldwide to exercise increased caution," it continued.
Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs put out a press release Monday that "indicated that the advisory issued by a number of embassies to their citizens to take precautions or avoid certain locations in the State of Qatar are part of the general policies followed by a number of countries regarding travel advisories and security updates for their citizens around the world, and do not necessarily reflect the existence of specific threats."
Qatar's Advisor to the Prime Minister and Minister and Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr. Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari noted in a statement to the press that "the security situation in the country is stable, and that the relevant authorities are closely monitoring the situation and are ready to take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of citizens, residents, and visitors, and that they will keep the public informed of any developments that require alerts or action, emphasizing the need to obtain information from official sources."
As for any Americans attempting to exit Iran, the State Department announced Monday that as Iranian airspace has been closed due to "hostilities with Israel," any U.S. citizens looking to leave "should depart by land to Azerbaijan, Armenia, or [Turkey]," but only if they feel it can be done safely.
The State Department has also begun organizing departure flights from Israel, and Americans can leave through Jordan via land crossings.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security put out a statement Sunday that warns of "a heightened threat environment in the United States," which can mean cyber-attacks are likely.
"The likelihood of violent extremists in the homeland independently mobilizing to violence in response to the conflict would likely increase if Iranian leadership issued a religious ruling calling for retaliatory violence against targets in the Homeland," it said.
"Multiple recent homeland terrorist attacks have been motivated by anti-Semitic or anti-Israel sentiment, and the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict could contribute to US-based individuals plotting additional attacks."
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