US Embassy in Saudi Arabia hit with Iranian drones as American and Israeli attacks on Iran escalate

The U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday acknowledged coming under attack from Iranian drones and urged Americans to avoid the diplomatic post for the time being.

The Saudi Defense Ministry earlier Tuesday said the embassy was attacked by two drones while US and Israel continued airstrikes on Iran with what US President Donald Trump suggested was just the start of a relentless campaign that could last more than a month.

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The attack from two drones on the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh caused a “limited fire” and minor damage, according to the Defense Ministry, and the embassy urged Americans to avoid the compound. This Tuesday incident followed an attack on the US Embassy in Kuwait as Iran pounds retaliatory strikes on several key infrastructure.

"Due to ongoing regional tensions, the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait will be closed until further notice. We have canceled all regular and emergency consular appointments. We will communicate when the embassy returns to normal operations," it said in a notification.

The U.S. State Department has ordered the evacuation of non-emergency personnel and family in Bahrain and Jordan. In an announcement, it said the decision came "due to safety risks."

The State Department urged Americans across the Mideast to leave over the ongoing war with Iran.

The Embassy in Riyadh has cancelled consular appointments, announcing that it will remain closed on March 3. "All routine and emergency American Citizen Services appointments are cancelled. The shelter in place notification for Jeddah, Riyadh, and Dhahran remains in place and we recommend American citizens in the Kingdom also continue to shelter in place," it said in a notification.

The U.S. Mission to Saudi Arabia continues to limit non-essential travel to any military installations in the region and is monitoring the regional situation.

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It urged travellers to review the latest security alerts, review travel plans in case of disruptions, and make appropriate decisions to keep themselves and their families safe.

"We advise all U.S. citizens to maintain a personal safety plan. Crises can happen unexpectedly while traveling or living abroad, and a good plan helps you think through potential scenarios and determine in advance the best course of action," it said.

The U.S. State Department has urged Americans to leave more than a dozen Middle Eastern countries due to safety risks, as have many other countries, though with much of the airspace closed many remain stranded. Airlines have commenced selective operations to rescue the stranded citizens across various nations of the region.

Meanwhile, US President Trump's latest remarks highlight that operations are likely to last four to five weeks but that he was prepared “to go far longer than that.”

“The hardest hits are yet to come from the U.S. military,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters before briefing members of Congress about the Iran operation.