US closes embassies in the Middle East as it braces for prolonged war with Iran

Washington has shut its embassies in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia after both were targeted by Iranian drone strikes, and urged American citizens to leave the region amid fears of a prolonged war with Tehran.

The US Embassy in Kuwait announced it would remain closed until further notice after the Bayan compound was hit during an Iranian attack on Monday.

Likewise, the US Embassy in Riyadh said it would remain closed on Tuesday following two overnight drone strikes that caused "limited damage", per Saudi defence ministry reports.

Later on Tuesday, the US Embassy in Beirut announced it would remain closed "until further notice" due to the security situation.

The State Department has warned Americans to steer clear of US military sites and embassies across the Middle East, issuing urgent departure notices for 14 countries, including Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the UAE, and Yemen.

Compounding the crisis, the US lacks Senate-confirmed ambassadors in multiple Middle East countries, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Egypt, Kuwait, and Iraq, despite their centrality to the ongoing regional war with Iran.

Instead, chargés d'affaires are managing these missions, an arrangement that critics argue leaves Washington diplomatically isolated as it urges citizens to flee the region and evacuates non-essential staff from multiple outposts.

Even the US Embassy in Jerusalem, which has an ambassador, said it cannot directly assist Americans evacuating Israel due to the closure of Ben Gurion Airport, and citizens were advised to use Egypt’s Taba crossing, though "the US government cannot guarantee your safety".

Troop surge planned

At Monday’s Pentagon briefing, top defence officials announced plans to send additional forces to the Middle East as President Donald Trump warned the military assault on Iran could intensify and potentially continue for multiple weeks.

Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine said the US was working to move more air defence assets to the region while bolstering its forces, though US Central Command did not specify troop numbers. Approximately 50,000 service members are already believed to be involved in the conflict.

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"Whatever the time is, it’s OK, whatever it takes," Trump said at the White House. "Right from the beginning, we projected four to five weeks, but we have the capability to go far longer than that".

Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed Trump’s statements, saying "the next phase will be even more punishing on Iran than it is right now".

No US official has articulated an exit strategy for American involvement in Iran, with Trump refusing to rule out sending troops on the ground there.

"I don’t have the yips with respect to boots on the ground", the president told The New York Post. "Like every president says, 'There will be no boots on the ground.' I don’t say it".

Gen. Caine said he expected the US to "take additional losses", as the death toll of American personnel in the region rose to six dead and 18 others injured.

Aside from human casualties, the US lost three F-15 fighter jets when they were shot down in a friendly fire incident in Kuwait.