U.S. Embassies will be closed in some nations in the Middle East, Africa and Asia after an Al-Qaeda linked terror threat. The move by the State Department is a precautionary step taken "out of an abundance of caution" against the threat which is "credible and serious," according to a U.S. official.
According to CNN, the unnamed official who is not authorized to speak publicly about the issue, said the threat was "directed at American targets overseas" and that it may not be confined to main diplomatic facilities.
The U.S. Embassies, which would normally be open this Sunday, will be closed and possibly for more days. The U.S. diplomatic offices are usually open on Sunday, where it is the start of the workweek in Muslim countries.
There is no confirmation on how many diplomatic offices will be closed Sunday, but State Department websites for U.S. embassies in Egypt, Israel, Jordan, and Iraq have announced that they will be closed.
A statement released by CBS from a senior State Department official reads: "For those who asked about which embassies and consulates we have instructed to suspend operations on August 4th, the answer is that we have instructed all U.S. Embassies and Consulates that would have normally been open on Sunday to suspend operations, specifically on August 4th. It is possible we may have additional days of closing as well."
According to CNN, analysts believe that "tensions are rising with the approach of both the holy days at the end of Ramadan and the one year anniversary of the September 11th attack on the US compound in Benghazi."
