After Fatal Strike in Kuwait, US Shuts Down Embassy

The US is shutting down its embassy in Kuwait City as the war with Iran widens, the State Department said Thursday. Operations at the embassy are being halted even though there have been no reported injuries to American staff members, Politico reports. In its statement, the department urged Americans still in Kuwait to leave the country. Those who cannot safely depart are being told to stay where they are and seek shelter. Earlier this week, smoke was seen near the area of the US Embassy after a reported Iranian attack. On Sunday, six US soldiers were killed in a drone strike on an operations hub in Kuwait.

Iran has been hitting US partners across the Persian Gulf since the war began on Saturday, US officials say. Although numerous US embassies and consulates in the Middle East have closed to the public since the war began, per the AP, only the consulate in Karachi, Pakistan, had suspended operations before now. The US government has told Americans to leave countries including Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. The Trump administration said it is expanding evacuation efforts, per Reuters, using charter flights, commercial airlines, and military aircraft. Charter flights are being organized at no cost to passengers, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday.