Washington Reduces Its Diplomatic Presence in the Gulf… Partial Evacuation of Its Citizens Amid Escalating Confrontations

The U.S. State Department announced the temporary closure of its embassies in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait amid rising security tensions and attempts to target American diplomatic missions in the region.

The U.S. embassy in Jerusalem also confirmed that it is currently unable to carry out direct evacuation operations for American citizens from Israel, in light of the rapidly evolving field developments.

Evacuation Instructions from Several Countries

The U.S. State Department issued instructions for non-emergency government employees and their families to leave Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, as well as Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian territories, and Iraq, coinciding with the widening scope of military confrontations in the Middle East.

Mutual Strikes in the Gulf

The escalation began last Saturday following joint U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Iran that resulted in the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several military and political leaders, prompting Tehran to carry out retaliatory attacks.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard announced targeting a U.S. airbase in Bahrain, as well as other bases in Qatar, the UAE, and Kuwait.

In response, Gulf countries announced the interception of hundreds of drones and missiles in recent days. Saudi Arabia confirmed the interception of eight drones near Riyadh and Al-Kharj, while the Ministry of Defense indicated that the U.S. embassy in Riyadh was targeted by two drones.

Tension in Iraq

In Iraq, hundreds of protesters attempted to storm the Green Zone in Baghdad, where the U.S. embassy is located, in protest against Khamenei's assassination, reflecting the widening implications of the crisis into multiple political and security arenas.