The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem said it was unable to evacuate or directly assist Americans in leaving Israel, and advised U.S. citizens to “shelter in place.”
“Due to the current security situation, the U.S. Embassy has directed that all U.S. government employees and their family members continue to shelter in place and near their residences until further notice. Due to the security situation and in accordance with the instructions of the Israeli Home Front Command, the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem will be closed on Monday, March 2, 2026. This includes consular sections in Jerusalem or regular Consemlar or Tel Aviv messages. Birth services abroad The U.S. Embassy is not in at this time able to evacuate or directly assist the Americans in their departure from Israel,” the embassy said in a post on X.
The development comes amid fresh strikes launched by Iran following the killing of Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei in joint US-Israeli strikes. Explosions were heard in Doha, Abu Dhabi and Jerusalem as the Islamic Republic continued to retaliate.
Fresh Iranian attack on a large scale
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards announced a new “large-scale” attack on Sunday and explosions were heard in Riyadh, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Manama, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, with Israeli emergency services reporting four people killed in the latest rocket attack, AFP reported.
Click here for the latest on the Israel-US-Iran standoff
The Islamic Republic launched strikes across the Persian Gulf after vowing to avenge the slaying of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, defying President Donald Trump’s threat to strike with unprecedented force.
As crowds gathered in the capital Tehran, with some mourning and others celebrating, explosions rang out and the Israeli military said it was again attacking targets in the heart of the capital, an AFP report said.
The Israel-US, Iran Clash: What Has Happened So Far? Main advantages
— Israel and the US jointly launched strikes against Iran on Saturday, February 28. The multi-day strike, dubbed “Operation Epic Fury”, was launched around 1:00 a.m. (local time) with a salvo of ship-launched Tomahawk cruise missiles and air-launched munitions from US Air Force and Navy aircraft, a US official said.
— A few hours after the joint strike, Iran retaliated. Explosions were heard in key Middle Eastern centers including Dubai, Abu Dhabi and others. Reports also said that the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, had been evacuated.
— Former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei was killed in an airstrike reported today, Sunday.
— After Khamenei’s death, Alireza Arafí was appointed interim supreme leader of Iran.
Who is Alireza Arafi? Key points at a glance
— Flights to the Middle East have been severely affected due to the crisis, Indian carrier Air India has offered passengers free refunds and rescheduling of flights without any charges for the same.
