Authorities extinguished a limited fire near the US consulate in Dubai due to a drone attack, with no injuries reported, Dubai’s media office reported Tuesday.
In a statement posted online, the media office said: “Dubai authorities have confirmed that a fire resulting from a drone-related incident near the US consulate has been successfully contained.”
It added that “emergency crews responded immediately,” and in a post about 45 minutes later, the media office said the fire had been “completely extinguished” and “no injuries were reported.”
“Dubai authorities reaffirm their commitment to ensuring the safety of all,” they wrote.
A U.S. official and the Dubai government media office provided more details to the Wall Street Journal, telling the outlet that a drone had hit the parking lot of the consulate in Dubai.
Video footage shared on social media showed black smoke rising near the consulate.
Iran’s state broadcaster, IRIB, reported that an Iranian drone had attacked the American consulate in Dubai, according to the New York Times.
The incident comes as the US embassy in Saudi Arabia was attacked by two drones on Monday “resulting in a limited fire and minor property damage to the building,” according to the Saudi Ministry of Defense.
The embassy has urged Americans in Jeddah, Riyadh and Dhahran to shelter in place.
And on Tuesday, the U.S. embassy in Kuwait also announced it would be “closed until further notice.”
Marco Rubio said later Tuesday that the State Department is working to help Americans in the Middle East leave.
“We have identified and continue to identify charter flights, military flight options and expanded commercial flight options, which means working with airlines to send larger planes with more seats,” the US secretary of state told reporters in Washington DC.
Rubio added that, in “a couple of cases,” the planes had been en route to the Middle East before airspace was closed and they were forced to turn around.
