US warns airliners flying in Persian Gulf amid Iran tensions

Commercial airliners flying over the Persian Gulf risk being targeted by "miscalculation or misidentification" from the Iranian military amid heightened tensions between the Islamic Republic and the US, American diplomats warned Saturday, even as both Washington and Tehran say they don't seek war. The warning relayed by US diplomatic posts from the FAA, though dismissed by Iran, underscored the risks the current tensions pose to a region critical to both global air travel and trade. Oil tankers allegedly have faced sabotage and Yemen rebel drones attacked a crucial Saudi oil pipeline over the last week. Meanwhile Saturday, Iraqi officials said ExxonMobil began evacuating staff from Basra, and the island nation of Bahrain ordered its citizens out of Iraq and Iran over "the recent escalations and threats." <br/>