US orders global embassy security review amid Iran strikes
Photo: US orders embassies to review security measures following strikes on Iran (Getty Images)
The US State Department ordered diplomatic missions around the world to urgently conduct security assessments following Iran’s strikes, reports The Washington Post.
The document instructs all embassies worldwide to convene emergency committees to identify threats and review action plans.
The reason is “the ongoing and developing situation in the Middle East and the potential for spill-over effects.”
The document was signed by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. And the order was issued by Under Secretary for Management Jason Evans.
As the media notes, previous similar instructions had only been sent to diplomatic missions in the Middle East.
The current directive is the first case when all US missions worldwide were ordered to conduct security checks amid the war in Iran.
The State Department declined detailed comment, noting that the disclosure of internal communications is inappropriate.
However, it emphasized that Emergency Action Committee meetings are a standard part of risk management and preparedness protocols.
Attacks on US embassies
Since the start of the US-Israeli military operation on February 28, several US diplomatic missions have come under attack by Iran and its allies.
In Saudi Arabia, the embassy building in Riyadh was partially damaged after a drone strike.
At that time, the State Department ordered the departure of part of the staff of the American diplomatic mission from the country.
Also, a column of black smoke was seen above the US embassy building in Kuwait after a series of attacks by Iran.
In Baghdad, on the night of March 18, the US embassy became the target of an Iranian attack using drones and missiles.
In Israel, an unexploded warhead from a missile hit a residential building where American diplomats were living.
