The U.S. State Department on Tuesday ordered more employees to leave their posts at embassies and consulates in four countries, citing risks to safety as Iran expanded its retaliatory attacks.
In Pakistan, the department recalled nonessential government employees and their family members at consulates in Lahore and Karachi. In the capital, Islamabad, the U.S. Embassy resumed normal operations on Tuesday, according to its website.
The order came after more than 20 people died in demonstrations on Sunday across Pakistan, including at least 10 in Karachi, where crowds tried to storm the U.S. Consulate.
The department also ordered the departure of nonemergency government employees and their family members in Saudi Arabia, Oman and Cyprus. A drone attack on the U.S. embassy in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, on Tuesday started a small fire and caused minor damage to the building, prompting its closure. In Cyprus, an Iranian-made drone crashed into a British air base late on Sunday. There were no casualties. And in Oman, where officials had mediated talks between Iran and the United States, a drone attack damaged a fuel tanker in a commercial port.
The U.S. Embassy in Kuwait was also closed after a drone struck its compound on Monday, according to two U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. The origin of the drone was not immediately clear.
Isabella Kwai is a Times reporter based in London, covering breaking news and other trends.
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