U.S. Central Command (Centcom) has issued a safety warning to Iranian civilians amid the U.S.’s current conflict with Iran, stating that the country’s government “is using heavily populated civilian areas to conduct military operations.”
“U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) is issuing a safety warning to civilians in Iran, March 8, as Iran’s terrorist regime blatantly disregards the safety of innocent people,” Centcom said in a post on the social platform X on Sunday morning.
“The Iranian regime is using heavily populated civilian areas to conduct military operations, including launching one-way attack drones and ballistic missiles. This dangerous decision risks the lives of all civilians in Iran since locations used for military purposes lose protected status and could become legitimate military targets under international law,” the post continued.
On Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran could possibly defend itself if a U.S. ground incursion happened.
“For the time being we are capable enough. We have very brave soldiers, who are waiting for any enemy who enters into our soil to fight with them, and to kill them and destroy them,” Araghchi said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
Trump administration officials, including President Trump himself, have not denied the possibility of sending ground troops into Iran.
“Iranian forces are using crowded areas surrounded by civilians in cities such as Dezful, Esfahan and Shiraz to launch attack drones and ballistic missiles,” Centcom said in its Sunday post.
“U.S. forces strongly urge civilians in Iran to stay at home. The Iranian regime is knowingly endangering innocent lives.”
The son of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was chosen by Iranian clerics as the next leader of Iran, per Iranian state media. A body of 88 Iranian clerics elected Mojtaba Khamenei following the death of his father, whom the U.S. confirmed it killed in an airstrike.
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.