Direct communication between Iran and the United States has been cut off

 as tensions between the two countries over a potential military conflict have escalated.

Direct communication between the two countries has been effectively cut off as fears of a potential military attack mount over Iran. The news of the suspension of top-level diplomatic talks between the two countries comes at a time when Washington is intensifying its threat of military intervention in the country in the context of Tehran's tough stance on suppressing domestic protests.

Al Jazeera reports that direct communication between top officials of the two countries has been cut off, as tensions between Iran and the United States over a potential military conflict have escalated, a senior official told Reuters.

The official said that all channels of communication between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US special envoy Steve Witkoff are currently suspended. However, the identity of the official was not disclosed.

The situation comes as US President Donald Trump has stepped up his threat of military intervention in Iran after the government's crackdown on deadly protests in the past two weeks.

Tehran has already made it clear that any attack on Iran will result in retaliatory strikes against US military bases in the Middle East, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Wednesday. The warning comes after US President Donald Trump threatened to intervene in Iran in support of anti-government protesters. An Israeli official said President Trump appears to have decided to intervene in Iran. However, the scope and timing of the move are still unclear.

The Iranian official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Tehran had urged regional countries to prevent Washington from attacking Iran. He said Iran has clearly told countries including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey that if the United States attacks Iran, US bases in those countries will be hit.

The official also said that direct communication between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US special envoy Steve Witkoff has been suspended, reflecting the growing tension between the two countries.

On the other hand, another Israeli government source said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's security cabinet was briefed late Tuesday night about the possibility of a government collapse in Iran or direct US intervention.

Meanwhile, some military personnel from the US Al Udeid air base in Qatar have been asked to leave by Wednesday evening, Reuters reported. Three diplomats familiar with the matter told Reuters, but their identities were not disclosed.

A diplomat told Reuters that this was not a mandatory order to withdraw US troops, but rather a change in military posture and readiness. He said he was not aware of any specific reasons for the decision.