Iran warns it will strike hotels sheltering American troops in the area

A video released by the Iranian state broadcaster, IRIB, on March 26, 2026, purportedly shows the second phase of the 82nd wave of missiles launched against Israel and US bases in the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, according to the broadcaster's claims.

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The US president issued a warning to Iran on March 26, 2026, urging the country to engage in talks to end the Middle East war "before it is too late", following Tehran's public rejection of US efforts to resolve the nearly four-week conflict.

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The current conflict began on February 28, when Israel and the United States launched strikes on Iran, resulting in the death of the country's supreme leader and triggering a war that has since spread across the Middle East, causing chaos in global markets and driving up oil prices.

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Iran's military has cautioned that hotels housing US soldiers across the region would be considered targets in its war with the United States and Israel, with armed forces spokesman Abolfazl Shekarchi stating that any location with a US presence would be viewed as a legitimate target.

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Shekarchi explained that if US forces occupy a hotel, it would be regarded as an American entity, and Iran would not hesitate to strike it in response to US attacks, emphasizing the need for Iran to defend itself against US aggression.

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Iran and the US have been embroiled in a conflict since February 28, when Israel and the US launched strikes on Iran, killing supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and sparking a wider war in the Middle East, with Iran retaliating against Israel and US interests in the region using drone and missile attacks.

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Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused US soldiers of using people in Gulf Cooperation Council countries as "human shields" on Thursday, claiming that US soldiers had fled military bases in the GCC to hide in hotels and offices.

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Araghchi called on hotels in the region to deny bookings to US soldiers, stating that they had been using these locations to carry out attacks, and the Fars news agency reported that Iran had sent "firm warnings" to hotels in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

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According to the Fars news agency, Iran's military had identified US forces using similar locations in Syria, Lebanon, and Djibouti, and had issued warnings to hotels in these areas, amid accusations that Iran's neighbors were allowing US forces to launch attacks from their territory.

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Gulf states have repeatedly denied these accusations, stating that they would not allow their territory or airspace to be used to attack Iran, even before the war began, and have maintained this stance despite Iran's continued allegations.