Tehran instructs regional allies to act cautiously as Trump returns - Telegraph

Iran has directed its allied forces across the Middle East to act with restraint, the Telegraph reported on Saturday, citing a senior Iranian official in Tehran, as the Trump administration sets in.

“Forces and allies in the region have been instructed to act with caution as [the regime] feels an existential threat with Trump’s return,” the Iranian official said.

“In Iraq and Yemen, forces have been told not to target any American assets, and if they do, they are explicitly warned against using Iranian weapons,” the official added.

“They have been told to keep defensive positions for a while and to avoid any actions that might provoke the Americans.”

Last week, Iraq's Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said Baghdad is seeking to convince Iran-backed armed factions in the country to lay down their weapons or join the official security forces.

Iran’s UN ambassador also denied any involvement in or support for the training of Yemen's Houthis, just days before US President Donald Trump re-designated the group as a "foreign terrorist organization".

"As a result of the Biden administration’s weak policy, the Houthis have fired at US Navy warships dozens of times, launched numerous attacks on civilian infrastructure in partner nations, and attacked commercial vessels transiting Bab al-Mandeb more than 100 times," the announcement said.