The US State Department on Thursday announced the closure of the US Embassy in Kuwait following retaliatory Iranian strikes, as the widening conflict in the Middle East began directly affecting Gulf capitals.
Iran has fired waves of missiles and drones at the American-allied Gulf country since the start of the war, escalating tensions across the region. Six American soldiers were killed in an Iranian drone strike in Kuwait on Sunday, according to officials.
Black smoke was seen rising near the US Embassy in Kuwait City after fresh Iranian attacks swept across the Gulf. Sirens sounded as drones were intercepted at dawn while authorities warned of continuing missile and UAV threats.
One person has been killed and dozens injured in Kuwait since the escalation began.
Earlier this week, the US embassy compound itself was reportedly hit by drones. Three diplomatic sources told AFP that the mission sustained damage during the attack.
One Kuwait-based diplomat and a Western diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the embassy had been damaged by several drones. A second Kuwait-based diplomat said the embassy building had been struck directly.
An AFP correspondent also reported seeing smoke rising from the diplomatic mission during Iran’s third day of retaliatory strikes across the Gulf.
Following the attack, the US embassy warned the public to stay away from the facility, citing ongoing threats.
The embassy said people should not come to the compound due to “a continuing threat of missile and UAV (drone) attacks over Kuwait”.
The escalating conflict has also disrupted other Gulf capitals. Explosions were reported in Doha and Bahrain as the regional confrontation intensified. Authorities in several Gulf countries activated air defence systems and closed sections of their airspace.
The conflict, triggered by sweeping US and Israeli strikes on Iran earlier this week, has rapidly spread across the region and drawn in multiple countries.
Iran has targeted American bases and allies across the Middle East in retaliation for the attacks on its military infrastructure, leadership and nuclear facilities.
The war has already affected at least 14 countries across the region and beyond. Iran’s retaliatory strikes have targeted neighbouring states, disrupted oil shipments and severely affected global air travel routes.
According to officials, the conflict has killed at least 1,230 people in Iran, more than 100 in Lebanon and around a dozen in Israel. Six US troops have also been killed in the fighting.
Tensions have also risen along Israel’s northern frontier with Lebanon. The Israeli military issued evacuation warnings for residents of Beirut’s southern suburbs and reported clashes with Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon.
United Nations peacekeepers said they observed ground combat west of the border village of Kfar Kila, while airstrikes and explosions were reported near the town of Khiyam.
Meanwhile, Gulf states have reported missile and drone attacks linked to the escalating conflict.
In the United Arab Emirates, a drone was shot down near Al Dhafra Air Base, which hosts US forces, injuring six people with falling debris. Qatar evacuated residents near the US Embassy in Doha as a precaution and later reported a missile strike on the city.
Bahrain said an Iranian missile struck a state-run oil refinery, sparking a fire that was later extinguished. Authorities said the facility remained operational and no casualties were reported.
The intensifying conflict has also affected global energy markets and shipping routes. Since the war began, attacks on vessels in the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz have pushed oil prices higher and disrupted maritime traffic through one of the world’s most critical energy corridors.
