Iran on high alert: Trump may take advantage of any excuse to attack at the end of his term

Iran has instructed its allies across the Middle East to be vigilant and refrain from creating tensions with the United States.

Iran this week ordered its allies across the Middle East to be on high alert and to avoid escalation and tensions in their relations with the United States. The request - made by a senior Revolutionary Guards official through Baghdad - reflects growing regional anxiety over President Donald Trump's unpredictable behavior, as well as the uncertainty created during the change of government in Washington following Joe Biden's victory.

In Tehran, there is growing concern about what Trump, who refuses to recognize the election results, may do in the last days of his presidency - including fears of a possible attack on one of the United States' hostile forces in the region.

On Thursday, an adviser to Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, warned in an interview with the Associated Press that any US attack on Iran could lead to a real war in the region. "We do not welcome war. We have no intention of starting a war," said Hussein Dahgan, a former Revolutionary Guards officer and defense minister under President Hassan Rouhani.