Iranian drones bomb the US embassy in Saudi Arabia as the war expands

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran expanded its targets Tuesday, striking the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia as Washington began withdrawing many of its staff from the Middle East. The United States and Israel have bombed Iran with air strikes in what President Donald Trump has described as just the beginning of a war that has severely disrupted the world’s supply of oil and gas, international shipping and air travel.

He watches: As Iran expands its retaliatory attacks, the United States urges Americans to leave the Middle East

The conflict escalated further on its fourth day, as Israel sent new ground forces to Lebanon and explosions sounded in the Iranian capital. Hundreds of people were killed, the vast majority in Iran.

The escalating nature of the war has raised questions about when and how it will end. Trump said the matter could last four to five weeks, but the United States is prepared to continue for longer. He appeared to leave the door open to the possibility of large-scale US military involvement, telling the New York Post on Monday that he did not rule out the possibility of deploying troops on the ground.

However, the administration’s goals remain unclear. Initial US-Israeli strikes led to the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and Trump urged Iranians to overthrow their government.

But since then, senior administration officials have said regime change was not the goal. Trump’s initial announcement of the strikes included many grievances, from concerns about Iran’s nuclear and missile programs to its leadership.

Iran bombs the American embassy in Riyadh, and Washington withdraws its employees

A two drone attack on the US Embassy in Riyadh caused a “limited fire,” according to the Saudi Defense Ministry, and the embassy urged Americans to avoid the complex. This came after an attack on the US Embassy in Kuwait, which was announced on Tuesday to be closed until further notice.

The US State Department ordered the evacuation of non-essential employees and their families in Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Qatar, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. In addition, the United States urged its citizens to leave more than a dozen countries in the Middle East, as did many other countries, and despite closing a large portion of airspace, many remained stranded.

The US-Israeli raids killed at least 787 people, according to the Iranian Red Crescent Society. In Israel, where Iranian missiles struck several sites, 11 people were killed. The Iranian-backed armed group Hezbollah also attacked Israel, whose retaliatory strikes killed 52 people in Lebanon.

The US military confirmed that six US service members were killed. Three people were killed in the United Arab Emirates, and one each in Kuwait and Bahrain.

Israel and the United States target nuclear facilities in Iran

Explosions rang out across the Iranian capital throughout the night until Tuesday, and the sound of planes was heard overhead. Iranian state television said the strikes caused two explosions at a broadcast facility in Tehran, adding that no one was injured.

The United Nations’ International Atomic Energy Agency said Iran’s nuclear enrichment site at Natanz had suffered “some recent damage” although “no radiological consequences are expected.”

The United States struck the Natanz facility during the 12-day war in June, when Israeli and American strikes greatly weakened Iran’s nuclear program.

But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that Iran is rebuilding “new sites and new places” underground to make atomic bombs. He did not provide any evidence to support his claim.
“We had to take action now and we did,” Netanyahu told Hannity on Fox News.

Iran said it has not enriched uranium since June, although it reserves the right to say its nuclear program is peaceful.

Satellite images analyzed by The Associated Press showed limited activity at two Iranian nuclear sites before the war. Analysts said that Tehran is likely assessing the damage caused by the 2025 strikes and perhaps salvaging what remains.

It is not clear how long the war will last

The expansion of Iranian retaliation across the Gulf, the intensity of Israeli and US attacks, the killing of Khamenei, and the lack of any clear exit plan indicate the possibility of prolonging the conflict.

Trump said on Monday that operations would likely last four to five weeks but that he was prepared to “go much longer than that.” He later added that the United States had an “almost unlimited supply” of munitions.

He watches: Trump leaves the door open to sending ground forces to Iran

“Wars can be fought forever and with great success using only these supplies,” he wrote on social media.

The conflict is disrupting commercial interests in the Middle East

Iran struck many countries considered safe havens in the Middle East in response to the US-Israeli strikes. Recent targets included two Amazon data centers in the United Arab Emirates and one in Bahrain. The company said that centers in the United Arab Emirates were bombed, while a drone struck near the Bahraini center, causing damage.

Iran also struck energy facilities in Qatar and Saudi Arabia, and attacked several ships in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of all oil trade passes, sending global oil and natural gas prices soaring.

The Iranian brigadier general announced that “the Strait of Hormuz is closed.” General Ibrahim Jabbari, advisor to the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, vowed to burn any ship that passed through it.

Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majid Al-Ansari pledged that Iranian attacks on the gas-rich country “will not go unanswered.”

Israel sends forces to Lebanon

The conflict extended to Lebanon, where Hezbollah fired missiles at Israel on Monday, prompting Israel to respond.

The Israeli army said on Tuesday that it had moved additional forces to southern Lebanon and had taken new positions at several strategic points close to the border.

Israel also launched more air strikes on Beirut, saying they were targeting “Hezbollah command centers and weapons storage facilities.” Explosions could be heard and smoke was seen in the southern suburb of Beirut.

The National News Agency in Lebanon said that the Lebanese army evacuated some of its border positions. Mahmoud Al-Qamati, a senior Hezbollah official, said the group now had no choice but to fight Israel.

Bekatoros reported from Athens, Greece, and Magdy reported from Cairo. Konstantin Torobin in Washington, David Rising in Bangkok, Melanie Leidman in Tel Aviv, Israel, Haley Golden in Seattle, and Giovanna dell’Orto in Miami contributed to this report.