US Embassy in Kuwait Shut Down as Iran Conflict Continues

‘While there have been no reported injuries to U.S. personnel, the safety of Americans abroad remains the highest priority,’ the State Department says.

An American flag flutters in the wind at the U.S. embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Jan. 24, 2022. Gleb Garanich/Reuters

The U.S. Embassy in Kuwait City was closed as the aerial war against the Iranian regime continues, the State Department announced on March 5.

“While there have been no reported injuries to U.S. personnel, the safety of Americans abroad remains the highest priority of the U.S. Department of State,” the department said.

It noted that the State Department is continuing to maintain a Level 3 advisory for Kuwait, urging American citizens to reconsider travel to the oil-rich Middle Eastern nation.

U.S. citizens are advised to depart Kuwait if they can do so in a safe manner, the State Department said, by “using commercial or other available transportation options.”

The embassy also said Americans can enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to get security updates from the State Department or contact the agency’s Bureau of Consular Affairs.

The suspension announcement comes as six U.S. service members were killed when an Iranian drone hit a port in Kuwait on March 1, officials have said. The Pentagon also confirmed that Kuwait shot down three U.S. fighter jets earlier this week in friendly fire incidents.

Turkey and Azerbaijan have also reported incidents involving alleged Iranian missiles or drones. On March 5, Azerbaijan’s leadership said that it may retaliate after two drones struck an autonomous region, causing two injuries.

Since the U.S.–Israel operation against the Islamic regime on Feb. 28, Iran has responded by firing drones and missiles at Gulf countries. The United States also shut down embassies in Lebanon in Saudi Arabia as the airstrikes continue, separately urging U.S. citizens to “depart now” from around a dozen different Middle Eastern and North African countries.

The White House has said it would attempt to evacuate American citizens who are stranded in the Middle East, as hundreds of flights were canceled or delayed due to the conflict. Around 17,500 citizens have left the region since the war began.

“The administration is already rapidly chartering flights free of charge and booking commercial options, which we expect to become increasingly available as time goes on and the success of this mission further comes to fruition,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on March 4.

Earlier the same day, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Dan Caine confirmed that U.S. military aircraft are being used to transport Americans who were stranded. Heavy transport planes such as the C-17 are currently being used, he said at a news conference.

Aside from Kuwait, a number of other Middle Eastern countries are also under a Level 3 advisory. Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Yemen are listed as Level 4 countries by the State Department, meaning citizens should not travel there.

Smoke rises from a reported Iranian strike in the area where the US Embassy is located in Kuwait City on March 2, 2026. AFP via Getty Images

A worldwide caution alert was sent out by the State Department on Feb. 28 as the aerial conflict with Iran started.

U.S. and Israeli officials say the military campaign targeting Iran are designed to dismantle the Islamic regime’s military capabilities and leadership as the country’s top leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in strikes on Feb. 28. No replacement for Khamenei has been named.

The strikes took place after talks between Tehran and Washington last month about Iran’s disputed nuclear program. Western officials have long said that Iran is using its program to attempt to create nuclear weapons, which Tehran has denied.