The US has closed several diplomatic missions across the Middle East and Gulf region while ordering non-essential staff and families to depart some countries amid ongoing regional military tensions.
The US embassy in Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, closed on Tuesday with all routine and emergency appointments canceled until further notice. In a post on X, the embassy urged US citizens in Saudi Arabia to stay at home and avoid the diplomatic compound, citing an attack on the building. Authorities in Saudi Arabia confirmed that two drones struck the embassy in Riyadh, causing a small fire and minor material damage, but no injuries were reported.
The embassy also activated a “stay-in-place” advisory for Americans in Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam.
In Kuwait, the US embassy announced via X that it had suspended all consular services, including routine and emergency appointments, until normal operations can resume. The mission said it would notify the public when services restart.
State Department Orders Staff Departures
Separately, the US State Department ordered non-essential employees and family members to leave Bahrain, Jordan and Iraq. The move follows an earlier directive for staff in Iraq, reflecting growing concerns over the security environment across the region.
In updated travel guidance posted on X, the State Department said it had revised advisories for Bahrain, Jordan and Iraq to allow voluntary departure for non-emergency government personnel and their families.
Americans Urged to Depart Region Immediately
The State Department urged Americans to leave more than a dozen countries and territories in the Middle East because of the conflict, even as options to leave narrowed with flight cancellations and airport closures.
Americans need to “DEPART NOW from the countries below using available commercial transportation, due to serious safety risks,” Mora Namdar, the State Department’s assistant secretary for consular affairs, said in a post on X.
The countries are Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, the West Bank and Gaza, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
The developments come amid an intensified conflict in the Middle East, which erupted last Saturday after combined US and Israeli strikes on Iran that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader and senior commanders — an action that Tehran’s authorities say also resulted in significant civilian casualties.
In response, Iran has launched missile and drone attacks against Israel and other regional targets, contributing to deepening instability.
