TEHRAN, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Iran has issued an "ultimatum" to hotel owners in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, warning that hosting U.S. military personnel could make their properties legitimate military targets, the semi-official Fars news agency reported Thursday.
Fars reported that U.S. forces have taken refuge in regional hotels following Iranian missile strikes and joint operations with allied militant groups that targeted American military infrastructure across the Middle East. The warning covers any facility hosting foreign military personnel and takes effect immediately if such activity continues.
The report also claimed U.S. personnel have established a presence at civilian sites across the region, including a logistics base near Beirut's old airport and advisory operations at Damascus' Republic Palace, the Four Seasons, and Sheraton hotels. U.S. Marines were reportedly moved this week to Djibouti International Airport via Istanbul and Sofia.
Earlier on Thursday, Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi warned hotels in Gulf Arab countries against accepting U.S. military personnel, accusing the soldiers of fleeing their bases and using civilian sites as cover.
"From the outset of this war, U.S. soldiers fled military bases in the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) to hide in hotels and offices. They use GCC citizens as human shields," Araghchi wrote on the social media platform X. He compared the situation to hotels in the United States, which he claimed deny bookings to officers who may endanger customers, and urged Gulf hotels to adopt the same practice.
On Feb. 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities, killing Iran's then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, senior military commanders, and civilians. Iran retaliated with missile and drone strikes against Israel and U.S. bases and tightened control of the Strait of Hormuz, blocking vessels affiliated with Israel and the United States. ■
