Iran crisis live: US and UK evacuate personnel from Qatar base

The Guardian-Jan 14th2026

in Jerusalem

German airline group Lufthansa has become the first major carrier to signal a significant pullback from Israel’s skies, telling staff to prepare for an exit from the country and announcing a wide suspension of flights amid growing safety concerns, a the country closely watching the possibility of a US military strike on Iran and the consequent retaliatory attack on his territory.

The prospect has pushed Israeli armed forces to heightened readiness in anticipation of potential retaliation from Tehran, according to officials and analysts familiar with the situation. Israeli leaders increasingly regard a US strike as a question of when rather than if, even though no details have emerged about its scope, nature or timing.

• The US and UK have evacuated personnel from a Qatar military base amid concerns Washington might soon launch military action against Iran, which could trigger retaliatory strikes.

• Trump has warned he could take “very strong” action over Iran’s deadly crackdown on protesters, which has killed thousands, say rights groups. The US president urged Iranians yesterday to “keep protesting”, saying “help is on the way” without elaborating further.

• Tehran sent missiles to the US major base in June after Washington struck its nuclear enrichment sites; an Iranian official seemingly responding to Trump’s threat this morning highlighted that attack.

• The flow of information coming out of Iran is still piecemeal due to the internet blackout – although death toll updates and reports of barbarous state violence have emerged in phone calls.