US issues worldwide travel alert for American citizens amid Iran escalation.

The US State Department Sunday issued a worldwide alert for American citizens asking them to exercise caution. Warning of possible periodic airspace closures, travel disruptions, the alert asked Americans abroad to follow the security alerts issued by the local US embassy or consulate. “The Department of State advises Americans worldwide, and especially in the Middle East, to exercise increased caution. Americans abroad should follow the guidance in security alerts issued by the nearest US embassy or consulate. Periodic airspace closures may cause travel disruptions. US diplomatic facilities, including outside the Middle East, have been targeted. Groups supportive of Iran may target other US interests overseas or locations associated with the United States and/or Americans throughout the world,” the alert said.The travel alert came after treasury secretary Scott Bessent hinted that the war may not end soon. Appearing on NBC’s Meet the Press, Bessent said America has plenty of money to fund this war. Sometimes you have to escalate to de-escalate, Bessent said. Earlier in the day, Trump gave an ultimatum to the Iranian leadership that they have 48 hours to open the Strait of Hormuz or US military strike will hit and obliterate all their power plants, starting with the biggest one first.Bessent defended Trump’s threat and said it’s “the only language the Iranians understand.”Early Sunday, a spokesperson for Iran’s military command headquarters warned that if the US strikes oil infrastructure, Iran will respond in kind. “If Iran’s fuel and energy infrastructure is attacked, then fuel, energy, information technology systems and desalination infrastructure used by America and the regime in the region will be struck,” Col Ebrahim Zolfaqari said, according to the IRNA Iranian state news agency.This is not the first time that the State Department issued a worldwide alert for US citizens after the war started. “Following the launch of U.S. combat operations in Iran, Americans worldwide and especially in the Middle East should follow the guidance in the latest security alerts issued by the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate,” the State Department announced February 28 after the US and Israel attacked Iran. “The Department of State advises Americans worldwide to exercise increased caution.“