A drone struck the parking lot near the U.S. consulate in Dubai, starting a small fire as Iran kept up missile-and-drone attacks on the United Arab Emirates and other America-linked targets in the region, Dubai’s government media office and U.S. officials said on Tuesday.
Rubio Says Staff Safe, Posts Reduce Footprint
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said officials accounted for all personnel in Dubai and noted the U.S. had already reduced staffing across several regional posts. “We’ve been very fortunate, obviously, but our embassies and our diplomatic facilities are under direct attack from a terroristic regime,” Rubio said.
Dubai’s government Media Office took to X to state that authorities “successfully contained” the fire from a “drone-related incident” near the consulate and later extinguished it, adding that officials reported no injuries.
Drone Incidents Spread From Dubai To Riyadh
The Dubai incident followed other strikes and alerts as the conflict widened. Two drones hit the U.S. embassy compound in Riyadh on Tuesday, causing a limited fire and material damage, Saudi Arabia’s defense ministry said.
U.S. Issues Evacuations, Dhahran Threat Alert
The State Department ordered non-emergency staff to leave several Middle Eastern countries, including Iraq, amid rising security risks. In eastern Saudi Arabia, the U.S. Embassy warned Americans about threats over the oil hub of Dhahran, “There is a threat of imminent missile and UAV attacks over Dhahran. Do not come to the U.S. Consulate.”
As noted in a WSJ update, the U.S. has lacked diplomatic relations with Iran since the 1979 embassy seizure and hostage crisis, a rupture that still shapes how Washington staffs and routes Iran-related diplomacy through posts in the region, with the American consulate in Dubai being a key hub for American diplomats.
Photo Courtesy: Maxim Elramsisy on Shutterstock.com
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