UPDATED!! Explosions in Iran - State Dept "Ordered Departure" of Diplomat Families from Gulf Region

October 21, 2026

Explosions have been reported in Karan, Sirik, Hormozgen Province, Iran.   No further details . . . yet.   This is now being CONFIRMED by IRGC-owned Tasnim News Agency.

The U.S. State Department is executing an "ordered departure" of some personnel and family members from U.S. embassies across the Gulf region today.

Undersea Internet Cables Now a "Target"

Iran's State TV has analyzed the impact of damaging the Seven (7) Major Undersea Cables crossing the Strait of Hormuz:

• - Disruption to $10 Trillion in daily financial transactions

• - A blow to the Middle East AI and Tech sectors

• - Global Internet slowdowns and latency (30% to 50% capacity drops)

• - Near-Total internet blackouts for specific Arab Nations (worst impacted: Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait)

The question as we're approaching potential new strikes on Iran:

Will Iran be on the receiving end of a third round of 'surprise attacks' or will Iran take preemptive action this time?

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is publicly warning of Iranian action, so there's at least a fear of a preemptive Iranian attack.

U.S. ULTIMATUM DELIVERED

Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir carried a final US ultimatum to Tehran during his visit yesterday, demanding "Iran must concede its entire nuclear program or face large-scale attacks aimed primarily at the Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site."

Iran rejected it, telling the Pakistanis the US must accept Iran's seven conditions, and told Asim Munir to get back on his plane.

Iran's SNSC chief Rezaei told Munir that no enriched nuclear material would ever leave Iran and that there would be no return to talks until the US meets all of Iran's conditions.

BORDERS CLOSING

Last night, Pakistan began closing its borders with Iran.   Today, Iraq began closing it's borders too.

Apparently, both countries fear a sudden exodus of people from Iran.

"Unrestrained War"

Iran now announces that any attack, joint or separate, by the U.S. or Israel will be treated as an all-out war, with a senior security official saying that Tehran has made a “definitive decision” to respond “without any limits or restraint” and has placed its military on the highest alert, per Press TV.

The warning comes as Netanyahu reportedly continues pushing for a strike on Iran’s military and nuclear infrastructure before Israel’s October 27 election, despite Trump halting a planned multi-day bombing campaign at the last minute to avoid a wider war ahead of the U.S. midterms. Israeli media reports that Netanyahu is now weighing an attack without Washington’s backing.

Tehran is making its position clear: if Netanyahu launches a unilateral attack, Iran says it will treat it as a joint U.S.-Israeli operation and retaliate without limits or restraint.

UPDATE 5:38 PM EDT --

US embassy staff and families ordered to leave Saudi Arabia, with families of embassy staff in the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Qatar, and Bahrain also ordered to leave.

MORE:

The US military has quietly been evacuating US troops at bases across the Middle East in recent days, reducing the troop presence, with the State Department ordering further staff reductions at multiple diplomatic posts in the region.

STILL MORE . . .

A trusted source in the White House told me moments ago "Trump has now shifted toward favoring a preemptive military strike on Iran in recent hours following Netanyahu "pushing him." 

The shift came after Trump's review of intelligence assessments presented by Hegseth after his meeting with Netanyahu this week. (ANALYST'S REMARK: So once again, the Israelis manufacture phony intel to achieve their goals, as usual.) 

Israeli Air Force jets took off from multiple airbases in the past hour and all US embassy staff have been ordered to leave Saudi Arabia.

UPDATE 6:31 PM EDT --

Spy Satellites picking up large movements of missiles inside Iran.  All over the country.