New Delhi:
A loud blast was heard and thick, black smoke was seen rising above the US Embassy in Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh on Monday night, becoming the latest of Washington’s consulates in the Middle East to come under attack after Iran launched a barrage of missiles and drones in response to Israeli military action.
Reuters reported witnesses seeing black smoke was seen rising over Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter, which houses foreign missions.
The Saudi Ministry of Defense announced that the US Embassy was attacked by two drones, resulting in a “limited fire and minor material damage to the building”.
The US Embassy in Saudi Arabia issued a shelter in place notification for Jeddah, Riyadh and Dhahran and added in an advisory that it is limiting non-essential travel to any military installations in the region.
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On Monday, the US embassies in Kuwait and Jordan were struck. In the embassy located in Jordanian capital Amman, staff was temporarily evacuated. “Out of an abundance of caution, all personnel at the US Embassy have temporarily departed the embassy compound due to a threat,” the US Embassy said in Jordan said in a security alert posted on social media.
Smoke rises above the US Embassy in Kuwait.
On the same day, dozens of Iraqis clashed with security forces near the US Embassy in Baghdad for a second day, an AFP journalist said. Iraqis protesting against the US-Israeli attack on Iran hurled stones at security forces, who responded with tear gas. On Sunday, authorities accused demonstrators of firing live rounds that wounded security personnel after angry protesters tried to storm the fortified Green Zone area, which hosts multiple embassies and key government buildings.
US embassies have come under attack since US and Israel launched attacks on several cities in Iran on Saturday, killing 555 people so far. Iran launched retaliatory attacks across the Gulf region, attacking both land and sea targets. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, leading to mourning and protests across the world. Among the protests were those in Pakistan, which led to unrest outside US consulates in Karachi and Lahore, killing several demonstrators. Similar clashes were witnessed outside the embassy in Iraq’s Baghdad.
As US President Donald Trump said operations are likely to last four to five weeks, Washington urged Americans to leave major parts of the Middle East immediately, warning of “serious safety risks” as tensions escalate across the region. “To all American citizens in the Middle East: your safety and security is our number one priority,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a video message. The advisory covers Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
The Gulf region hosts large expatriate communities and critical energy infrastructure, raising concerns about possible spillover.
