WASHINGTON – Tensions in the Middle East escalated Thursday as Iran launched military exercises “focused on enemy movements,” just days before the next round of US-Iran nuclear talks is set to begin in Oman.
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In response to the heightened risk, US government personnel in Israel have been instructed to restrict travel to Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Beersheba, according to a State Department advisory.
Meanwhile, Israel is sending a high-level delegation—Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and Mossad Director David Barnea—to meet with US envoy Steve Witkoff ahead of the sixth round of negotiations, scheduled for Sunday in Muscat.
“This is yet another attempt to clarify Israel’s position,” a senior Israeli official said, as chatter grows over the possibility of a preemptive Israeli strike.
The latest developments follow the International Atomic Energy Agency’s recent determination that Iran has violated the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Tehran has threatened retaliation if attacked.
Sunday’s talks in Oman could mark a turning point—or a breaking point—in a region on edge.