US cites rising Houthi attacks in new Middle East travel warnings

The US State Department has attributed its updated travel advisories and security alerts for several Gulf and Middle Eastern countries to the escalation of attacks and threats by Yemen's Houthi group. The department also issued a warning regarding travel to Israel, citing the risks of intensified Houthi military operations, according to the Israeli news site Walla.

The warning concerning Israel comes as the United States reduces staff at several of its embassies in the Middle East and relocates diplomats and their families from the region. This move follows intelligence warnings in Washington about Iranian plots to assassinate American officials.

The US news site Axios reported that American intelligence has detected a significant increase in Iranian efforts to target US diplomats and officials both in the Middle East and beyond, noting that some assassination plots have reached advanced stages.