US authorities have ordered the evacuation of non-essential personnel and their families from five countries in the region — Bahrain, Iraq, Qatar, Jordan and Kuwait. The US Embassy in Kuwait suspended consular services and closed its gates until further notice.

The State Department issued a direct message to all American citizens in the region: "Leave the Middle East now." The US representation in Saudi Arabia was closed following the drone attack on the embassy in Riyadh, and Americans in Jeddah, Riyadh and Dhahran were urged to shelter in place.

The embassy in Israel stated it is unable to directly assist American citizens who wish to leave the country, nor to organise evacuations. This leaves the Americans in Israel without direct consular assistance.

The evacuations come as the conflict escalates significantly. Six American soldiers were killed in the retaliatory strikes, while the Iranian IRGC reported 555 casualties on the Iranian side from the American-Israeli air operations.

The threat to US diplomatic personnel across the region represents a significant shift in Washington's security assessment — for the first time in decades, the US is simultaneously closing its diplomatic missions across the Middle East.