Iran has warned that hotels across the Middle East hosting US troops will be considered legitimate military targets, as tensions intensify between Tehran, Washington, and Israel.

Armed forces spokesperson Abolfazl Shekarchi said any location sheltering American forces would be treated as a US installation.

“When all American forces move into a hotel, that hotel becomes an American base from our perspective,” he told state television.

“We cannot remain passive while being targeted. When we respond, we will strike wherever they are.”

The warning comes amid a sharp escalation in regional hostilities. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused US forces of using civilians in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries as “human shields.”

“Since the start of the war, US troops have left military bases in GCC states and taken refuge in hotels and offices,” he said in a post on X, urging regional hotels to deny them accommodation.

Separately, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) called on civilians to immediately leave areas where US forces are stationed.

“We strongly advise people to evacuate such locations to avoid harm,” the IRGC said in a statement carried by Tasnim News Agency, adding that it is “duty-bound” to target US forces wherever they are found.

In a further escalation, the IRGC announced restrictions on maritime traffic linked to US and Israeli allies. It declared the Strait of Hormuz closed and warned that vessels attempting to transit the strategic waterway would face “harsh measures.”

According to Iran’s Fars news agency, three container ships of different nationalities were turned back from entering the strait following warnings from IRGC naval forces.