Tensions were running high on Jan. 14 into the overnight hours as the world braced for possible U.S. strikes on Iran. U.S. President Donald Trump appeared to have backed down by late afternoon on Jan. 14, but the tensions continued through the night as Iran closed its airspace for several hours and reports persisted of U.S. aircraft and personnel being evacuated from the Al Udeid air base in Qatar. U.S. long-range bombers were reportedly put on alert, and an aircraft carrier, the USS Abraham Lincoln, was reported to have been directed to head to Southwest Asia from the South China Sea. The alert status at Al Udeid has reportedly been lowered since, and personnel who were evacuated are being allowed to return. Iranian airspace has officially been reopened, but most commercial air traffic is still avoiding it. The internet blackout also continues.
An unnamed senior Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran had asked U.S. allies in the region to prevent Washington from attacking Iran. “Tehran has told regional countries, from Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E. to Türkiye, that U.S. bases in those countries will be attacked” if the U.S. targets Iran, the official said. Direct contacts between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff have been suspended, the official added.
