The Department of Consular Affairs of the United States Department of State has issued a security alert asking American citizens in the Middle East region to increase their vigilance in particular; Emphasized in this statement: "Americans who are currently in the Middle East should be more vigilant in the face of the growing threat of armed attacks by the Iran-backed Houthis and Tehran's efforts to harm US government officials in this region"; the US State Department also indicated the possibility of flight cancellations, airspace closures and regional travel disruptions, and asked its citizens to follow each country's security warnings.