The United States on Tuesday has begun evacuating non-essential diplomatic staff from several countries in West Asia and scaling down embassy operations as hostilities involving Washington, Israel and Iran intensify. The United States Department of State directed non-emergency personnel and their families to depart from Bahrain, Jordan, Iraq, Qatar and Kuwait, citing elevated security threats. Several missions have temporarily shut down or shifted to emergency-only services.
US Embassies Scale Back Operations
The U.S. Embassy Beirut announced it would remain closed on March 3.
In Pakistan, the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad cancelled all visa appointments through March 6, extending the advisory to its consulates in Lahore and Karachi due to the “current security situation.”
The U.S. Embassy in Israel said it is not currently in a position to evacuate American citizens. While Israel’s tourism authorities have arranged shuttle services to the Taba border crossing, the embassy stated it cannot recommend for or against the option and warned that safety cannot be guaranteed.
In Saudi Arabia, the U.S. Mission to Saudi Arabia suspended both routine and emergency American Citizen Services appointments on March 3. A shelter-in-place advisory remains active for Jeddah, Riyadh and Dhahran following reports of an attack near the facility.
The U.S. Embassy Kuwait said it would remain closed until further notice, a day after smoke was reportedly seen rising from the compound. Similarly, the U.S. Embassy Bahrain suspended operations citing ongoing regional tensions.
In Jordan, the U.S. Embassy Amman confirmed that personnel had temporarily left the embassy compound due to a security threat.
Israel-Iran Conflict: Rising Casualties Across Region
The broader conflict has led to mounting casualties. Iran’s Iranian Red Crescent said the death toll from recent US-Israeli strikes has climbed to 787. Around 180 of those deaths were reported in Minab, where a girls’ school was struck.
Moreover, the US military confirmed that four American service members were killed and four others seriously injured during operations targeting Iran.
In Lebanon, 52 people have reportedly died in Israeli strikes in the south, with more than 150 injured amid clashes involving Hezbollah. The United Arab Emirates reported three fatalities, a Pakistani, a Nepalese and a Bangladeshi national in attacks in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, with 58 others injured.
Iranian strikes have also resulted in approximately 10 deaths in Israel and two in Iraq. One fatality each was reported in Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain, while at least 16 people were injured in Qatar.
Conflict Shows No Immediate Signs Of De-Escalation
The evacuations and diplomatic closures underscore growing concerns that the conflict could widen further. With casualties rising across multiple countries and embassies operating under restricted conditions, governments continue to urge citizens to exercise caution as instability spreads across West Asia.
