Washington, 03 March (H.S.):

The United States has ordered the withdrawal of non-emergency diplomats, government employees, and their families from Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, and Jordan as West Asia tensions surge, closing the Saudi embassy following a drone strike and urging Jerusalem embassy citizens to seek personal safety.

The Cyprus News Agency reported the Saudi mission shuttered Tuesday post-drone attack, advising US nationals in Jeddah, Riyadh, and Dhahran to shelter in place pending further orders; Kuwait's embassy is also closed, suspending all visa and consular services.

This follows Israel's accelerated plans to strike Iran, with Tehran warning of retaliatory hits on US bases if its nuclear program is targeted. Jerusalem's US embassy clarified it cannot provide evacuation or direct aid, appealing for individual contingency plans.

Experts view these as prudent precautions amid deteriorating security in the world's top oil-producing region, sparking global market jitters with spikes in crude and gold prices.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar