US urges citizens to be "extra vigilant"

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US authorities have urged their citizens to exercise “extra vigilance” around the world following their bombings of Iranian nuclear facilities, which could lead to retaliation from the Islamic Republic regime.

In a warning released on Sunday night in the United States (early Monday morning in Lisbon), the State Department “advises US citizens around the world to exercise increased vigilance”.

Washington diplomacy specifically points to “the potential for protests against US citizens and interests abroad”.

The warning said that the conflict launched by Israel on June 13 against Iran has resulted in travel disruptions and the temporary closure of airspace across the Middle East, and advised its citizens to exercise “extra caution.”

On Sunday, the United States ordered the evacuation of families and non-essential staff from its embassy in Beirut, “due to the volatile and unpredictable weather in the region,” according to a statement from its representation in the Lebanese capital.

Washington also maintains an official warning advising against all travel to Lebanon , where the Shiite group Hezbollah, allied with Tehran, condemned the “barbaric and treacherous” US attack on Iranian nuclear facilities, warning that it could drag the region and the entire world into an “unknown spiral” unless there is “international deterrence action”.

Iran's ambassador to the United Nations told the Security Council on Sunday night that Tehran would decide "the timing, nature and scale of a proportionate response" to the US strike. During an emergency meeting at the United Nations requested by Iran, Amir Saeid Iravani accused Washington of launching a war "under absurd and fabricated pretexts."

Iran's representative warned that his country reserves " the full and legitimate right to defend itself against the insolent aggression of the United States and its Israeli pawn ", without, however, issuing any concrete threat.

US planes bombed three nuclear facilities in Iran early Sunday morning , joining the offensive launched by Israel on June 13, justified by the imminent creation of a nuclear bomb, which is refuted by Tehran.

A few hours later, Iran launched around 40 missiles at Israel, accusing the United States of destroying the possibilities of a diplomatic solution to the nuclear issue.

At a press conference at the Pentagon, the US Defense Secretary commented that the United States “does not intend to go to war” with Iran , but warned that it will act “quickly and decisively” if its interests are threatened by Tehran as a form of retaliation.