Level 1 — Absolute Beginner
Israel says it is on its highest alert. This means the army is ready for danger at any moment.
Israel thinks Iran might fire missiles at it. This could happen even if Israel does not join a new attack led by the United States.
The President of the United States, Donald Trump, is thinking about new air strikes on Iran. These strikes could last for 10 to 14 days.
The United States told its citizens in the Middle East to get ready to leave. Leaders from Saudi Arabia and Iran also spoke about the danger.
- alert
- a state of being ready for danger
- missile
- a weapon that flies through the air to hit a target far away
- offensive
- a planned military attack
- strike
- a sudden attack
- campaign
- a series of planned actions, such as military attacks, over time
- citizen
- a person who belongs to a country
- region
- a large area, often made up of several countries
- warn
- to tell someone about a possible danger
Level 2 — Elementary
Israel says its military is on the highest level of alert, believing that Iran could launch ballistic missiles at Israel even if the Israeli military does not immediately join a new offensive led by the United States.
President Trump has reportedly ordered planning for a fresh round of strikes on Iran, part of a possible 10 to 14 day air campaign meant to seriously weaken Iran's remaining missile forces.
US embassies across the Middle East, including in Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia, urged American citizens to consider leaving the region or to prepare to depart if the situation gets worse.
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called President Trump to caution him against a new round of strikes, while a senior adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader warned that any attack on Iranian infrastructure would bring a severe response.
- ballistic missile
- a powerful missile that follows a curved path through the sky to reach a distant target
- launch
- to send something, such as a missile, into the air
- degrade
- to weaken or reduce the strength of something
- embassy
- an official building where a country's representatives work in another country
- depart
- to leave a place
- crown prince
- a male heir to a country's throne
- caution
- to advise someone to be careful
- infrastructure
- the basic physical systems a country needs, such as power plants and roads
Level 3 — Intermediate
Israeli officials say the military has moved to its highest state of alert, working from the assumption that Iran would launch ballistic missiles at Israel even if the Israeli military does not initially participate in a new offensive being planned by the United States.
President Trump has reportedly ordered military planners to prepare for an intensified round of strikes on Iran, potentially beginning within days, structured as a 10 to 14 day air campaign intended to severely degrade Tehran's remaining missile capabilities.
In response to the escalating tensions, US embassies across the Middle East, spanning Israel, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt, urged American citizens to consider departing the region or to prepare to leave should the confrontation worsen.
The diplomatic stakes intensified further when Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman personally called President Trump to caution him against launching a fresh round of strikes, while Mohammad Mokhber, a senior adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, warned that any strike on Iranian infrastructure would trigger a severe response undermining US interests throughout the region.
- escalate
- to become more intense or serious
- assumption
- something believed to be true without direct proof
- intensify
- to make or become more forceful or extreme
- diplomatic
- relating to relationships and negotiations between countries
- confrontation
- a hostile or argumentative meeting or situation between opposing sides
- undermine
- to weaken the effectiveness or authority of something
- adviser
- a person who gives expert guidance to a leader or organization
- capability
- the power or ability to do a particular thing
Level 4 — Advanced
Israeli defense officials have reportedly elevated the military to its highest state of alert, operating from the working assumption that Iran would launch ballistic missiles at Israel even in a scenario where the Israeli military does not initially participate in a new offensive contemplated by the United States.
President Trump has, according to multiple reports, ordered military planners to prepare for an intensified round of strikes against Iran, potentially commencing within days and structured as a 10 to 14 day air campaign designed to severely degrade what remains of Tehran's missile capabilities following the joint US-Israeli operation launched in late February 2026.
As tensions have escalated, US embassies spanning Israel, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt issued advisories urging American citizens to consider departing the region or to prepare for evacuation should the confrontation deteriorate further.
The diplomatic dimension of the crisis sharpened considerably when Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman personally telephoned President Trump to urge restraint against a renewed round of strikes, even as Mohammad Mokhber, a senior adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, cautioned that any assault on Iranian infrastructure would provoke a severe retaliatory response calculated to undermine US interests across the broader region.
- contemplate
- to consider carefully as a possible course of action
- commence
- to begin
- advisory
- an official notice giving information or a warning
- evacuation
- the act of removing people from a place of danger to a place of safety
- deteriorate
- to become progressively worse
- restraint
- the act of holding back from an action; self-control
- retaliatory
- carried out in response to an attack, in order to punish or harm in return
- provoke
- to stir up or bring about a reaction, especially anger or hostility
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