The U.S. State Department said on Tuesday it was closely monitoring reports of threats to American nationals in Saudi Arabia and issued strong guidance for U.S. citizens in the country to remain sheltered where they are.
In a travel advisory, the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia said: "We are tracking reports of threats against locations where American citizens gather." The advisory specifically named hotels and other gathering points as potential targets and noted that U.S. businesses and U.S. educational institutions were included among those locations.
The embassy instructed Americans in Saudi Arabia to stay indoors and to keep away from windows until further notice.
The advisory was published after a statement attributed to Iran's Revolutionary Guards, reported by state media, indicated that the Guards would target U.S. companies in the Middle East as of April 1, described as retaliation for attacks on Iran.
The embassy notice and the Revolutionary Guards' statement are the only developments reported in the advisory and accompanying media accounts. Specific details about the nature, source, or scope of the reported threats were not provided in the advisory.
For U.S. citizens in Saudi Arabia, the guidance is procedural and immediate: remain inside current locations and avoid exposure to external windows until the embassy issues further information.
Contextual note - The advisory lists types of locations that may be vulnerable — hotels, gathering points, U.S. businesses, and U.S. educational institutions — but does not provide additional operational guidance beyond sheltering in place and staying away from windows.