The U.S. Department of State on 2/3 noted persistent threats to personnel in Jordan and Bahrain, including missile and drone attacks from Iran, severe disruptions to commercial flights, and the risk of terrorist attacks. Additionally, the department warned of a high risk of violence and kidnapping in Iraq. Consequently, the Department of State issued a mandatory withdrawal order for non-essential U.S. government personnel and their family members from these three nations. A similar order was subsequently extended to Qatar and Kuwait.

This directive marks the first time since the U.S. and Israel initiated military operations against Iran that the Department of State has ordered the withdrawal of non-essential personnel from its embassies. The move reflects escalating security risks across the region as Iran carries out retaliatory actions, particularly targeting U.S. military and diplomatic facilities.

Many U.S. embassies in the region have issued "shelter-in-place" orders for staff since the conflict began, advising other U.S. citizens to do the same. While the withdrawal order does not mean embassies will close, each diplomatic facility will only retain a core group of personnel. The U.S. Department of State has urged American citizens across the Middle East to "depart immediately" via commercial means. However, many citizens may find it difficult to leave quickly due to numerous airlines having suspended flights in the region. The U.S. government has not yet deployed evacuation flights for its citizens.

Smoke rises from the area of the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait on 2/3. *Photo: AFP*

The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, announced the cancellation of all consular appointments for 3/3, stating the facility was "attacked." This occurred after an Iranian drone struck the embassy early that morning. Previously, the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Defense confirmed the attack caused "a small fire and insignificant material damage." The embassy also posted on X, "The shelter-in-place notification for Jeddah, Riyadh, and Dhahran remains in effect, and we recommend U.S. citizens in the kingdom continue to shelter in place."

Casualties in the conflict between the U.S. - Israel and Iran. *Graphic: Aljazeera*

In Kuwait, the U.S. Embassy announced its closure until further notice "due to ongoing regional tensions." "All consular appointments, both routine and emergency, are canceled. We will announce when the embassy resumes normal operations," the agency posted on X. These developments follow an Iranian retaliatory attack that killed 6 U.S. soldiers and seriously injured 18. Both Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and President Donald Trump have warned that the U.S. could see more casualties.

By Huyen Le (Source: CNN, Guardian)