Iran's armed forces issued stark warnings Thursday to hotels in Gulf states and beyond, declaring them legitimate military targets if they house relocated U.S. troops.

Armed forces spokesman Brig. Gen. Abolfazl Shekarchi told state television that any hotel accommodating American personnel transforms into a military site from Iran's perspective. "When all the Americans (forces) go into a hotel, then from our perspective that hotel becomes American," Shekarchi said. He added, "Should we just stand by and let the Americans strike us? When we respond, naturally, we have to strike wherever they are."

Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi echoed the message on social media platform X, accusing U.S. soldiers of fleeing damaged bases in Gulf Cooperation Council countries to seek cover in civilian hotels and offices. "From the outset of this war, U.S. soldiers fled military bases in the GCC to hide in hotels and offices. They use GCC citizens as human shields," Araghchi wrote. He urged hotel operators to deny bookings to Americans, comparing it to practices in the United States where hotels refuse guests who might endanger others.

The threats, reported by Iran's Fars News Agency, specifically targeted facilities in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Damascus, Syria. Sources cited by Fars claimed a significant number of U.S. bases had been destroyed, forcing troops into hotels like the Four Seasons and Sheraton in Damascus, as well as sites in Lebanon and Djibouti. The agency described the warnings as "comprehensive and final," stating any center hosting foreign military personnel would be considered a legitimate defense target.

The relocations stem from Iranian missile and drone strikes that have rendered multiple U.S. bases uninhabitable since the conflict erupted on February 28. That day, U.S. and Israeli forces launched joint attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities, killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, senior commanders, and civilians. Iran retaliated by targeting 17 American bases across the Middle East, prompting thousands of the roughly 40,000 U.S. troops in the region to disperse to temporary sites, including hotels and office buildings.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has also called on civilians in Gulf countries to report U.S. troop locations. The threats follow a drone strike on March 24 in Erbil, Iraq, which hit a high-rise in a hotel district known to host U.S. personnel and contractors. No casualties were immediately reported from that attack, claimed by an Iran-backed militia.

The Pentagon has not issued a specific response to the hotel threats as of Friday morning. However, U.S. officials confirmed troops are operating remotely from alternative locations due to base damage. Reports indicate the Defense Department is considering deploying up to 10,000 additional troops to the Middle East, following an order for 2,000 soldiers from the Army's 82nd Airborne Division.

The escalating rhetoric comes amid broader tensions, including Iranian threats to UAE ports and U.S. warnings over the Strait of Hormuz. The conflict has shifted battlefields, with U.S. forces adapting to dispersed operations while Iran vows continued strikes on American assets wherever they may be.