US Embassy in Riyadh warns of 'imminent threat' as Americans urged to leave region
As the war enters its fourth day, US diplomatic missions across the Middle East have shifted into emergency mode, issuing urgent security alerts and advising Americans to take cover or depart the region.
The US Embassy in Riyadh warned of an imminent threat of missile and UAV attacks over Dhahran in the country’s east, home to Saudi Aramco’s headquarters, and directed citizens to shelter in place. The warning came after multiple Iranian drone attacks on the US Embassy in Riyadh overnight, causing part of the embassy’s roof to collapse, the Washington Post reported, citing a State Department memo.
The US Embassy in Oman also issued a shelter-in-place alert after a drone struck a fuel tank at Oman’s Duqm port on the country’s eastern coast. The emergency warnings on Tuesday followed a State Department advisory on Monday urging all American citizens to leave 15 Middle Eastern countries via available commercial means due to serious safety risks.
As Gulf states grapple with Iranian attacks, tensions have also intensified along Israel’s northern border. In Lebanon, Israeli troops deployed additional forces in the country’s south as the Iran-backed Lebanese militia Hezbollah continued to fire on Israel. Defense Minister Israel Katz said he had instructed the military to “hold and advance” into areas of southern Lebanon to prevent further Hezbollah attacks.
Hezbollah said it launched drones and missiles at Israel overnight into the second day of cross-border fighting. Meanwhile, Lebanese troops evacuated “advanced positions” along the Israeli border and deployed elsewhere, Lebanon’s state-run news agency said.
In Iran, new Israeli strikes hit Tehran, targeting what the military described as Iran’s “leadership compound,” including the presidential office. In a Telegram post, the Israeli military said that “numerous munitions” were dropped on that target and on the Supreme National Security Council, as well as “additional key regime infrastructure.”
Some 787 people have been killed in Iran since the US-Israeli strikes began on Saturday, according to the Iranian Red Crescent Society. The US military said six Americans have died in the conflict, while Israeli authorities reported at least 11 fatalities. In Lebanon, Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 52 people, according to the Lebanese government’s Disaster Management Unit.