On Tuesday, the American government temporarily suspended operations at its embassies in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, issuing evacuation orders for non-essential personnel in several neighbouring nations as Iran widened its retaliatory strikes against US assets across the Gulf region.
The US embassy in Riyadh was closed for the day following an incident that ignited a minor blaze and inflicted slight damage. Saudi defence authorities described the source as likely two drones, though they refrained from identifying their point of origin.
Hours later, the ministry reported the successful interception and destruction of eight unmanned aerial vehicles near Riyadh and the southeastern city of Al-Kharj. Following suit, the Canadian Embassy in Riyadh also announced its closure for Tuesday and canceled all in-person appointments through Friday.
In response to ongoing threats, the State Department overnight directed all non-essential government staff and their dependents to depart six Middle Eastern nations: the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, Jordan, and Bahrain. The US mission in Amman had already announced a temporary evacuation of its compound on Monday following an unspecified threat.
A separate drone incident targeted the US Embassy compound in Kuwait on Monday, confirmed by two American officials who were not authorised to speak publicly. The mission announced early Tuesday that it would remain closed indefinitely, citing “regional tensions.”
The recent US and Israeli operations in Iran have sparked violent protests in Pakistan, with Sunday’s demonstrations resulting in over 20 fatalities. Ten deaths occurred in Karachi as crowds attempted to storm the US Consulate, and two more individuals died near the embassy compound in Islamabad.
Consequently, the US Embassy in Pakistan has canceled all visa appointments through Friday, affecting consular operations in Lahore and Karachi as well. The Consulate General in Peshawar also suspended its functions on Monday.
