Iran Hits US Embassy In Riyadh​,​ Shuts Strait Of Hormuz

(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer) Dubai- The war between Iran, Israel and the United States widened sharply on Tuesday as Iranian drones struck the American Embassy compound in Riyadh, and Tehran announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most vital energy corridors.

The attack on the diplomatic mission - coupled with intensifying Israeli airstrikes in Tehran and Beirut, mounting civilian casualties and sweeping American evacuation orders across the Middle East - underscored how a conflict that began with targeted strikes has evolved into a multi-front regional war with profound geopolitical and economic consequences.

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According to Reuters, black smoke billowed over Riyadh's Diplomatic Quarter, home to numerous foreign missions, after a loud blast was heard and flames were seen at the American compound. Citing multiple sources, Reuters reported the embassy building was empty at the time of the attack and that no casualties were immediately reported.

Saudi Arabia's defence ministry confirmed the strike, saying the drones caused a“limited fire” and“minor material damage” to the compound in the early hours of the morning. The ministry appeared to downplay the impact, though images and video circulating online showed parts of the premises engulfed in flames. Reports later indicated additional drones may have targeted the site.

In response, the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh cancelled all routine and emergency consular services across its missions in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dhahran, ordering staff and visitors to“shelter in place”.

The strike follows reported attacks on U.S. diplomatic facilities in Kuwait and forms part of an expanding Iranian retaliation campaign targeting U.S. military and commercial interests across the Gulf.

US Orders Evacuations Across the Region

The U.S. State Department has ordered non-emergency government personnel to leave Iraq“due to security reasons” and barred U.S. staff in Baghdad from using the city's international airport.

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State Department official Mora Namdar issued an urgent warning on X urging American citizens to“DEPART NOW” from more than a dozen countries due to“serious safety risks”. The advisory covers Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the occupied West Bank and Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

Airspace closures across much of the region have complicated evacuation efforts, leaving many travellers stranded.​

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Strait of Hormuz Closure Sparks Global Alarm

​Meanwhile, the I​slamic Republic's announcement that it was closing the Strait of Hormuz​, through which roughly a fifth of the world's traded oil passes​, has sent shockwaves through global energy markets and defence establishments.

Iranian naval units, including elements of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), have reportedly targeted vessels transiting the narrow waterway. Energy facilities in Qatar and Saudi Arabia have also been hit, and shipping insurers are reassessing risk premiums for Gulf routes.

The escalation comes amid intensified Israeli airstrikes on Tehran and Lebanon, including a reported strike on Iran's state broadcaster and additional operations targeting what Israel has described as“leadership and nuclear infrastructure”.

Expanding Iranian Retaliation

Iranian naval and aerospace units, including elements of the IRGC, have launched strikes on US military assets and infrastructure in several regional countries, as well as on targets in Israeli-controlled territory.

Among the reported targets:

• Drone impacts near American-linked facilities in Bahrain
• Damage to two Amazon data centers in the United Arab Emirates
• Strikes on energy facilities in Qatar and Saudi Arabia
• Attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global oil transit corridor

The escalation has disrupted commercial shipping and sent global oil and natural gas prices sharply higher.

​Mounting Casualties Across the Region

The Iranian Red Crescent Society said at least ​6​00 people have been killed in Iran since the start of the latest US–Israeli campaign.

​A hospital was hit in Tehran, and a girls' school in southern Iran left over a hundred students dead. Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, posted on social media that more than 160 girls were killed in a US–Israeli strike on a​n elementary school in Minab​ in Southern Iran. State TV was broadcasting the funeral of students live from Minab with thousands of mourners out in the streets.

​In Lebanon at least 52 ​civilians have been killed and 150 wounded in Israeli strikes, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry.

​Israel has admitted at least 11 ​d​eaths in Iranian missile strikes so far.

The U.S. military confirmed six American service members, all army soldiers from the same logistics unit in Kuwait, were killed during the conflict. ​The US also confirmed the loss of three fighter jets amid incoming Iranian attacks.

Additional fatalities were reported in the UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain.

Nuclear Facilities and Strategic Targets

Iranian officials said airstrikes targeted the Natanz nuclear enrichment facility on Sunday. Reza Najafi, Iran's ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency, confirmed explosions at the site but rejected accusations that Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons, calling them“a big lie”.

Israel and the US have not formally acknowledged striking Natanz in the current round of fighting, though Washington previously bombed the site during a 12-day conflict in June. Israel has stated that it is targeting Iran's“leadership and nuclear infrastructure”.

U.S. President Donald Trump said operations could last four to five weeks but signalled readiness to continue longer if necessary. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that“the hardest hits are yet to come from the U.S. military.”

Trump outlined objectives including destroying Iran's missile capabilities, neutralising its navy, preventing it from acquiring nuclear weapons, and halting its support for allied groups such as Hezbollah.

Risk of Prolonged Regional War

The killing of Iran's Supreme Leader, Sayyed Ali Khamenei, earlier in the conflict has further inflamed tensions and eliminated a potential channel for de-escalation. Analysts warn that the absence of a clear exit strategy increases the risk of a prolonged and wider regional war.

Amy Pope, director general of the International Organization for Migration, cautioned that further military escalation would deepen displacement and humanitarian suffering across a region already hosting millions of displaced people.

With airspace closures across much of the Middle East, thousands of travellers remain stranded.

As Iranian-linked groups in Iraq and elsewhere claim additional strikes on U.S. facilities, and as Israeli officials say“all options remain on the table”, the confrontation shows no immediate signs of abating.

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