US struggles to evacuate Americans from Middle East as its assets come under fire

 

A consulate in Dubai, CIA station in Saudi Arabia and US base in Qatar all sustained hits

Here's the latest

• On the ground: Israel said it has begun a tenth wave of strikes in Iran and has also been bombarding Lebanon. President Donald Trump said Iran’s air force and navy had been “knocked out,” and the US military said it destroyed 17 Iranian ships and nearly 2,000 targets. More than 1,000 people have been killed in Iran since the war began, according to US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).

• Scramble to evacuate: The US has closed embassies in three countries, reduced its regional diplomatic staffing and warned Americans to leave. The United Arab Emirates said it opened safe air corridors with its neighbors as countries rush to evacuate stranded nationals.

• Global market reaction: Asian stocks fell sharply today, with a record selloff in Seoul, as investors fretted about rising oil prices in a region heavily exposed to Middle East imports. Meanwhile, European stocks were up and US markets were set to open sligthly higher. Oil prices also climbed.