Iran used drones to attack the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia’s capital early Tuesday, as the conflict in the Middle East escalated as it entered its fourth day.

U.S. and Israeli forces hit Iran with airstrikes, The Associated Press reported. Iran and its proxies have retaliated against Israel and neighboring countries in the Middle East.

The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was struck with two suspected Iranian drones overnight Tuesday, with two more hitting “at or near” the compound, CNN reported. The American embassy in Kuwait was also attacked, according to the cable news outlet.

Both embassies were closed on Tuesday, CNN reported. Kuwait’s facility was shut down “until further notice.”

“The brutal Iranian behavior … will push the region into further escalation,” the Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Huckabee: Americans must find their own way home

Update 11:59 a.m. ET March 3: Americans in Israel looking for a way to leave the country can take a bus to Egypt or travel to Jordan. But Mike Huckabee, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, said the embassy would not be able to help them.

In a post on X, Huckabee said the U.S. embassy is directing all U.S. government employees and their family members in Israel to shelter in place “until further notice.”

“The U.S. Embassy is not in a position at this time to evacuate or directly assist Americans in departing Israel,” he wrote. He added bus schedules as a courtesy “as you make your own security plans,” according to The Associated Press.

Ukraine will swap drones for missiles

Update 10:35 a.m. ET March 3: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is ready to trade its domestically produced interceptor drones to Middle East countries in exchange for American-made air defense missiles it needs.

Ukraine needs U.S. PAC-3 missiles to deflect the effects of cruise and ballistic missile attacks by Russia, The Associated Press reported. Kyiv has also developed interceptors to combat Russia’s Iranian-designed Shahed drones.

“If they give them (air defense missiles) to us, we will give them our interceptor,” Zelenskyy said at a briefing. “This is an equivalent exchange.”

South Koreans evacuated from Iran, Israel

Update 9:20 a.m. ET March 3: South Korean officials said they have evacuated 23 South Korean nationals from Iran to Turkmenistan by bus, The Associated Press reported.

The South Korean Foreign Ministry said that they were being transported to the capital city of Ashgabat. They were expected to fly back to South Korea or to third countries on Wednesday.

South Korea also evacuated 62 nationals from Israel to Egypt by bus, the AP reported.

Trump to Iran: ‘Too late’ to talk

Update 9:07 a.m. ET March 3: In a Truth Social post, President Donald Trump said that while Iran has approached U.S. officials about negotiating a settlement in the Middle East, he said the time was “too late.”

“Their air defense, Air Force, Navy, and Leadership is gone,” Trump wrote. “They want to talk. I said, ‘Too Late!’”

Average price of gas jumps .11 per gallon

Update 9:02 a.m. ET March 3: The average price for a gallon of gasoline soared 11 cents overnight to approximately $3.11 in the United States, according to AAA.

According to its website, AAA listed the average price at $3.109 per gallon.

Prices were already rising before the Middle East conflict, but crude futures have risen sharply since hostilities began over the weekend, The Associated Press reported.

Israel closes West Bank crossings

Update 8:54 a.m. ET March 3: Israeli military officials said they have closed all crossings into and out of the occupied West Bank, CNN reported.

According to a statement from the military’s Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), opening the crossings “under fire” puts lives at risk. The agency added that it will reopen “as soon as the security situation allows.”

European countries evacuating citizens

Update 8:43 a.m. ET March 3: Officials from several European countries announced that repatriation flights will carry their citizens out of the Middle East as hostilities intensify in the area.

Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger announced that a flight carrying Austrians would depart on Wednesday from the Omani capital of Muscat, The Associated Press reported. There are nearly 18,000 Austrian citizens registered in the area.

Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene said her country will commence the evacuation of “the most vulnerable groups of Lithuanian citizens” from the United Arab Emirates and other countries, according to the AP.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Tuesday that his country had prepared planes for a potential evacuation. There are approximately 14,000 Polish citizens in the United Arab Emirates, the AP reported.

Spain’s foreign minister said approximately 175 Spanish citizens will return to Madrid on Tuesday on a commercial flight leaving from Abu Dhabi, according to the news organization.

“The safety of the more than 30,000 Spaniards currently in the region is our top priority,” Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares told reporters.

‘Do not go outside’

Update 8:25 a.m. ET March 3: A social media post by the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia warned ithat there is a “threat of imminent missile and UAV (drone) attacks over Dhahran, (Saudi Arabia).

“Do not come to the U.S. Consulate,” the post read. “Take cover immediately.

“Take cover immediately in your residence on the lowest available floor and away from windows. Do not go outside,” the post continued. “The U.S. Consulate in Dhahran urges U.S. citizens in Dhahran to shelter in place, review security plans in the event of an attack, and to stay alert in case of additional future attacks.”

Dhahran is located in eastern Saudi Arabia, closer to Iran than Saudi Arabia’s capital city of Riyadh, CNN reported.

Nearly 1,900 flights canceled

Update 7:59 a.m. ET March 3: Nearly 1,900 flights destined for airports across the Middle East were canceled on Tuesday, The Associated Press reported.

Cirium, an aviation analytics company, said 5,450 flights had been scheduled.

Original report: Footage shown by the Saudi-owned satellite news channel Al Arabiya showed fire damage on one part of the roof of the U.S. Embassy, the AP reported.

Israel said it is conducting “simultaneous strikes in Tehran and Beirut,” against Iranian military sites and those of Hezbollah, according to CNN.

Israel also sent more troops into southern Lebanon, while that country’s army was evacuating some of its positions along the border between the two countries, the AP reported.

The State Department ordered mandatory evacuations for non-emergency personnel in several countries, including Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, according to CNN.

The U.S. embassy in Muscat, Oman issued a security alert asking embassy staff to shelter in place, citing “ongoing activity,” the cable news outlet reported.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that Iran’s Natanz Fuel Enrichment Plant has been damaged by airstrikes, Reuters reported. However, there was “no radiological consequence expected” from it. Natanz was attacked in June by the U.S. during the 12-day Israel-Iran war, according to the AP.

The state-run Iranian Red Crescent reported that Iranian casualties stood at 787 dead early Tuesday, Reuters reported.

Majed Al Ansari, a spokesperson for the Qatari foreign ministry, said the Iranian attacks not only targeted military facilities but also involved much of the nation’s territory, according to the AP.

“Such attacks will not go unanswered,” he said in a briefing.

France said it planned to send anti-missile and anti-drone systems to Cyprus after a British sovereign base on the island was attacked by drones, The Jerusalem Post reported.

Air France announced that it had canceled its flight routes to Tel Aviv, Beirut, Dubai, and Riyadh until at least Thursday, Reuters reported.

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