WARNING,AS FEARS GROW OF A WIDER CONFLICT BETWEEN lRAN, IT'S PROXIES AND lSRAEL AND IT'S BACKERS : PROFESSIONAL OFFICIALS SAID.

The warning appeared online last week in Arabic beneath pictures of U.S. warplanes: “Do not take up arms against the United States or its partners,” it said, noting that America “will protect its partners in the face of threats from the Iranian regime and its proxies.

And to underscore the message: Central Command is “fully prepared” and ready to employ F-16 and A-10 aircraft “currently in the region.”

As fears grow of a wider conflict between Iran and its proxies,and Israel and its backers, the warning — apparently aimed at young disaffected men in the Middle East — may not have been that surprising.