Fears Iran war will reignite as US withdraws diplomats from Saudi Arabia

Iran has threatened to attack US bases across the Middle East, as Washington began pulling its diplomats from the region and Israel’s leader prepared his country for the resumption of war. The threat by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Thursday came as Tehran’s grasp over the Strait of Hormuz weakened. Tracking data suggested that a US-led effort to ferry oil across the strait has brought exports from the region close to prewar levels. Most commented 1 Where’s Marie Curie? GCSE science ‘fails to credit women’ Science 232 comments 2 US withdraws diplomats from Saudi Arabia amid deadly Houthi attacks US news 201 comments 3 Alan Thornett obituary: union leader nicknamed ‘the Mole’ Obituaries 97 comments 4 Times letters: Failure to protect the elderly in care homes Letters to the Editor 62 comments 5 MI5 spied on NHS founder Nye Bevan for decades History 87 comments About 14 million barrels a day were exported through the strait last week, 82 per cent of the prewar total, according to analysis by The Wall Street Journal . Top stories 1 Tripsnacking? Finally a travel trend I can get on board with Advice “The US military must know that if this trend continues, the conflict will extend to its bases in the region,” the IRGC said. Vessels traverse the Strait of Hormuz on Monday Stringer/Reuters President Trump accused Iran of trying to drive up oil prices before next month’s US midterm elections , after Tehran claimed that seven oil tankers caught fire or were damaged in the strait after striking mines overnight. Advertisement Binyamin Netanyahu , the Israeli prime minister, has warned for days that Iran may consider attacking first, even as he and Trump prepared for a new round of airstrikes. The prime minister met Pete Hegseth , the US war secretary, at an Israeli military base on Monday where they discussed plans for the conflict. Despite election fears, US and Israel agree: let’s attack Iran again He also held a videotaped phone call with Trump, in which he thanked the president for his support and both appeared to agree to “get the job done’’ in Iran, in Netanyahu’s words. Top stories 1 High street banks are on borrowed time Saving & Investing 2 Belgium’s most stylish autumn weekend break — and it’s not Bruges Belgium Washington has already begun scaling back its diplomatic presence in the region, as it had done earlier this year when it launched the war against Iran on February 28. The bulk of the redeployments were of non-essential staff from its Saudi mission, as the kingdom came under attack by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. Netanyahu on the campaign trail in Tel Aviv on Wednesday Erik Marmor/Getty Images On Thursday the Houthis claimed responsibility for a deadly attack on an airport in the Saudi oil city of Dammam. The airport resumed operations after the attack, but the airport in the capital, Riyadh, has remained closed since a Houthi missile strike killed 13 people earlier this month. Advertisement Separately, Aramco , the Saudi national oil company, evacuated its offices in Dhahran, while multinational companies issued work from home orders to their staff. The US has been beefing up its military presence in the region, with a third American aircraft carrier and about 10,000 military personnel heading to the Middle East. How the Houthis breached Saudi Arabia’s US-made defences Trump had earlier ruled out an attack before the midterm elections on November 3, while Israel, where Netanyahu faces a hotly contested election next week, would probably be forced to delay the vote if war resumes. However, both countries have deliberately misled the Iranians in previous rounds by announcing timetables for attacks then striking with no notice, catching the regime off guard. Advertisement Trump suggested on Wednesday night that “something” would happen “very soon” in the conflict with Iran. “We are not negotiating with [Iran],” Trump told a reporter before boarding Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews. Trump speaks to reporters at Joint Base Andrews on Tuesday Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images Netanyahu has said he had ordered his military and intelligence services to prepare for regime change in Iran , insisting that the regime was rebuilding its nuclear capabilities. “There is only one way to remove this threat once and for all: overthrow the regime in Iran,” Netanyahu said at a graduation ceremony for military officers. Renewed US and Israeli airstrikes would be likely to target Iran’s already devastated nuclear infrastructure and power plants, and Iran would retaliate with more attacks on US bases in the region in addition to energy infrastructure. Qatar and Pakistan have been attempting to mediate another ceasefire agreement after the one in June unravelled, largely due to Iranian attempts to reassert their control over the Strait of Hormuz . Mediators are privately pessimistic about the prospects of a new deal. Iran insists it will only stop attacking ships in the strait if the US goes back to the June ceasefire deal and lifts sanctions that have crippled the Iranian economy. A US naval blockade of Iran has all but stopped the country’s oil exports, and its currency has plummeted to record lows against the dollar. Advertisement However, the regime, led by the hardline Mojtaba Khamenei , whose father and predecessor Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the opening salvos of the war, believes that it is under existential threat, something reinforced by Netanyahu’s comments on regime change.