The United States Embassy in Riyadh announced the suspension of all consular services across its missions in Saudi Arabia. According to an embassy statement, all regular and emergency appointments scheduled for Tuesday have been canceled. The missions in Jeddah, Riyadh, and Dhahran have been placed under a 'shelter in place' directive. The embassy also advised American citizens to maintain personal security plans and avoid approaching the embassy area until further notice.

The statement linked the suspension to an attack on the organization, prompting heightened security measures. The development comes amid a series of regional attacks following Iranian strikes on US military bases in the Middle East. One such attack reportedly targeted Saudi Aramco, the state-owned oil giant, causing a fire at its facility.

The embassy has not indicated when consular operations might resume, leaving uncertainty about the duration of the suspension and its impact on American citizens in Saudi Arabia.

Several Gulf countries have disclosed the number of missiles and drones intercepted amid ongoing retaliatory attacks following joint US-Israel military strikes on Iran. According to CNN, Kuwait intercepted 178 ballistic missiles and 384 drones, while the UAE reported intercepting 169 of 182 detected missiles and 645 drones, with 44 hitting domestic areas. Bahrain intercepted 70 missiles and 76 drones, and Qatar reported intercepting 101 of 104 detected missiles and 24 of 39 drones, as well as destroying two Iranian SU-24 bombers. Saudi Arabia did not release total figures but confirmed intercepting eight drones near Riyadh and Al-Kharj. Oman reported two drone strikes at Duqm port and a tanker hit near Musandam’s coast.

The figures highlight the defensive capabilities of Gulf nations amid heightened regional tensions. Their air defense systems have played a key role in protecting civilian areas during the ongoing escalation.

The report underscores the strategic importance of Gulf defense networks in maintaining regional stability during the current conflict.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced that it carried out a large-scale drone and missile attack on a United States air base located in Bahrain’s Sheikh Isa area on Monday morning. According to the IRGC statement, the operation involved 20 drones and three missiles, which allegedly destroyed the base’s main command and headquarters building and set fire to fuel storage tanks.

As of the report’s publication, Bahraini authorities had not issued any immediate comment regarding the incident or its consequences. The report did not include information on casualties, damage assessments, or responses from US officials.

The attack marks a significant escalation in regional tensions, though the full extent of the damage and potential retaliatory measures remain unclear based on the available information.

Lebanon’s armed group Hezbollah announced that it carried out a drone attack on Israel’s Ramat David air base in the country’s north. According to the group, the strike took place early Tuesday and targeted the radar site and control rooms of the base using a swarm of drones.

Hezbollah stated that the operation was conducted as retaliation for Israel’s recent deadly attacks in various areas of Lebanon. The report, citing Al Jazeera, did not provide details on the extent of the damage or any casualties resulting from the strike.

The incident marks another escalation in the ongoing hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, with both sides trading attacks across the border in recent weeks.

A drone attack targeted a hotel used to house US troops in Erbil, the capital of Iraq’s Kurdistan region, near the Iranian border. The armed group Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed responsibility, saying it deliberately struck the hotel where American soldiers were staying. Iraqi news agency Naya News shared a video on Telegram showing a building in Erbil engulfed in flames, describing it as a strike on an ‘occupying force base.’ No immediate details on casualties or damage were available.

On the same day, Iran claimed responsibility for drone and missile attacks on US forces stationed in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. According to Al Jazeera, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said its naval forces carried out a ‘complex attack’ combining drones and missiles against American troops in Dubai. The IRGC also claimed to have launched a drone strike on the US base at Arifjan in Kuwait.

The incidents mark a series of coordinated strikes across the region, though the full extent of the damage and potential escalation remain unclear.

US President Donald Trump has ordered a full-scale attack on Iran less than a year after declaring that his foreign policy would avoid regime change or nation-building in the Middle East. Analysts told Al Jazeera that the new war contradicts Trump’s stated ideology and campaign promises, arguing that it primarily benefits Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rather than the United States. Negar Mortazavi of the Center for International Policy described the assault as another Israel-driven conflict initiated under US pressure.

The report notes that Netanyahu has long warned of Iran’s nuclear and missile threats, though both Tehran and US officials have denied evidence of weaponization. Despite recent diplomatic progress through Omani mediation and three rounds of indirect US-Iran talks in Geneva, Trump proceeded with the strike, undermining hopes for a peace deal. Public opinion polls cited in the report show that most Americans oppose a new war with Iran.

Commentators, including National Iranian American Council president Jamal Abdi, said the decision marks a political victory for Netanyahu but a strategic setback for the US, signaling a potentially prolonged and unpredictable military engagement.

US President Donald Trump has signaled a strong response following a drone attack on the American Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In an interview with NewsNation journalist Kelly Meyer, Trump said Washington would take significant action soon, adding that the world would see the response very quickly.

According to the report, two drones struck the US Embassy in Riyadh early Tuesday morning, causing a small fire and partial damage to the building. Following the incident, the United States placed all its facilities and diplomatic missions across the Middle East on high alert.

The US government has also suspended all consular services in Saudi Arabia as a precautionary measure, while regional tensions remain heightened after the attack.

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defense confirmed that two drones attacked the United States Embassy in Riyadh early Tuesday morning. The incident caused a limited fire within the embassy compound and minor structural damage to parts of the building, according to a statement released on social media platform X.

Following the attack, precautionary instructions were issued for staff of the US missions in Saudi Arabia. Personnel in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dhahran were advised to remain in safe locations, and movement to military installations in the region was restricted unless necessary.

The ministry’s statement did not specify who was responsible for the attack or whether any casualties occurred. The situation prompted heightened security measures around diplomatic and military facilities in the affected areas.

Iran has launched a series of missile attacks targeting various areas across Israel, according to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). Following the strikes, the IDF confirmed the attacks and declared a nationwide emergency alert to warn citizens. Mobile phone messages were sent to residents instructing them to move to safe shelters as the situation unfolded.

The IDF stated that Israel’s air defense systems have been activated to intercept the incoming missiles and are attempting to destroy them midair. The report, citing BBC as its source, did not specify the extent of damage or casualties resulting from the attacks.

The incident marks a significant escalation in regional tensions, prompting heightened security measures across Israel as defense operations continue.

A new Reuters/Ipsos poll shows that only about one in four Americans supported the joint US-Israel strike on Iran that killed an Iranian leader. The survey found that 27 percent of respondents approved of the attack, while 43 percent opposed it and 29 percent offered no opinion. Nearly nine in ten participants said they were at least somewhat aware of the strike, which began early Saturday.

The poll also revealed that 56 percent of Americans believe former President Donald Trump is too eager to use military force to advance national interests. Among Democrats, 87 percent shared this view, compared with 23 percent of Republicans and 60 percent of politically unaffiliated respondents. The survey was conducted while the Iran operation was underway and concluded before reports emerged of US casualties.

Subsequent updates confirmed that three US soldiers were killed and five seriously injured in the attack, though these incidents occurred after the poll had ended.

Seven additional flights were canceled at Chattogram Shah Amanat International Airport on March 3, 2026, as airfields in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Doha remained closed due to the ongoing war situation in the Middle East following a joint attack by Israel and the United States on Iran. The airport’s public relations officer, Engineer Mohammad Ibrahim Khalil, confirmed the cancellations in a press release issued in the morning.

According to the statement, the canceled flights included one arrival from Biman Bangladesh Airlines, one departure and one arrival from US-Bangla Airlines, and two departures and two arrivals from Air Arabia. Since February 28, a total of 35 international flights have been canceled at Shah Amanat Airport due to the regional conflict.

Meanwhile, Salam Air’s flight OV-401 from Muscat landed at 8:05 a.m. and departed again for Muscat at 9:15 a.m., while Biman Bangladesh Airlines’ flight BG-138 from Madinah arrived at 8:45 a.m. and left for Dhaka at 9:30 a.m.

U.S. President Donald Trump has launched military actions against two of China’s close allies within two months, threatening Beijing’s vital oil supply routes. In January, the U.S. captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, and on Saturday, an airstrike killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei. Both Venezuela and Iran export most of their crude oil to China, accounting for about 15 percent of China’s total oil imports, according to analytics firm Kpler.

Rob Thummel, portfolio manager at Tortoise Capital, said China could be the main economic casualty of the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, as it produces less oil than it consumes. He warned that while high prices could slow growth, actual supply disruptions pose a greater threat to China’s economy, which depends heavily on imported oil.

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi condemned the U.S.-Israeli aggression as unacceptable and denounced Washington’s role in Khamenei’s killing, though he avoided discussing the potential economic fallout. Tehran has announced the closure of the strategic Strait of Hormuz, and an oil tanker was attacked while violating sanctions, causing global oil prices to rise.

The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported that more than 700 civilians have been killed in Iran since fighting began on Saturday. According to the agency’s latest update, CNN cited that by Monday afternoon at least 742 civilians, including 176 children, had died, and more than 900 others were injured. In the past 24 hours alone, at least 96 people were killed, with additional deaths under verification.

The report detailed widespread damage to religious sites and residential buildings, including a mosque in Karaj near Tehran, a governor’s office south of the capital, and the Shahid Bahonar Pier in Bandar Abbas on the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian sources also reported damage to hospitals in Tehran. Military targets hit within the last 24 hours included the Kurdistan Law Enforcement and Border Guard Command center in Sanandaj, an airbase in Isfahan, and an army base in Tehran.

HRANA emphasized that the information remains preliminary and subject to change, while CNN noted it could not independently verify the figures.

Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares announced that Spain will not permit its military bases to be used for attacks on Iran. The statement came after reports of U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, which Spain condemned. Al Jazeera reported the development on Tuesday, citing Albares’ remarks.

Flight tracking data showed that since the weekend attacks began, fifteen U.S. aircraft departed from the Rota and Morón bases in southern Spain. According to Flightradar24, at least seven of those planes landed at Germany’s Ramstein Air Base. The report highlighted Spain’s stance as part of a broader European response to the escalating conflict.

The article also noted that Britain initially refused to allow its bases to be used for strikes on Iran but later reversed its position. Prime Minister Keir Starmer authorized their use on Sunday, citing “collective self-defense.”

At least 96 people were killed in Iran within 24 hours in joint strikes carried out by the United States and Israel, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA). The fatalities reportedly include 85 civilians and 11 soldiers. HRANA stated that since the joint attacks began on February 28, the total civilian death toll in Iran has reached at least 742, including 176 children.

Earlier, the Iranian Red Crescent Society reported on March 2 that the total number of deaths stood at 555, though Al Jazeera said it could not independently verify these figures. HRANA added that the latest strikes targeted various infrastructure sites across Iran, including several military bases, two residential areas, and the Shahid Bahonar port in Bandar Abbas.

The differing casualty figures highlight uncertainty over the full scale of the attacks and their humanitarian impact, as independent verification remains unavailable.