Flames and smoke were spotted near the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait as Iran launched counterattacks following strikes by the United States and Israel.
On Friday local time, Reuters and the Associated Press reported smoke rising and alarms sounding around the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait. Witnesses said fire trucks and ambulances were dispatched urgently to the area near the embassy. The exact cause of the fire or explosion has not yet been confirmed.
The U.S. Embassy in Kuwait stated that "missile and drone attack threats continue across Kuwait." It urged U.S. citizens not to come to the embassy and to seek shelter immediately.
The U.S. State Department said embassy staff had moved to a safe location. It also advised American citizens in the country to review their personal security plans in preparation for emergencies.
Reports also emerged that a fighter jet, believed to be a U.S. Air Force F-15, crashed in Kuwait. CNN reported that analysis of footage showed a jet engulfed in flames spinning vertically and crashing within approximately 10 kilometers of Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait. Separate footage captured what appeared to be a pilot parachuting to the ground.
Separately, the British Royal Air Force base at Akrotiri on the eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus was also attacked. President Nikos Christodoulides said in a statement that one Iranian-made Shahed kamikaze drone struck the base, causing minor material damage. He emphasized that "Cyprus will not participate in military operations in any way."
Reuters had earlier reported that two drones flew toward Akrotiri base, with one intercepted. The Akrotiri base is considered a key hub for British military operations in the Middle East.
Iran has been attacking U.S. military bases in the Middle East in retaliation for strikes by the United States and Israel on April 28.