State Department confirms ‘shooting incident’ outside US consulate in Saudi Arabia
Joel Gehrke
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A local guard died in a “shooting incident” at a U.S. consulate in Saudi Arabia, Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s team confirmed.
“We can confirm reports of a shooting incident today outside our Consulate General in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia,” a State Department spokesperson told reporters. “There were two fatalities, including a member of the Consulate’s local guard force as well as the assailant, who was killed by Saudi security forces.”
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Saudi state media identified the local guard as a Nepalese employee of a private security contractor, according to reports. Saudi authorities are “investigat[ing] the incident” while “in contact” with the State Department.
“The Consulate was appropriately locked down and no Americans were harmed in the attack,” the State Department spokesperson said. “Accountability of all official American and locally employed staff has been achieved. We offer our sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased local guards member.”
The incident occurs at a fraught period for U.S.-Saudi relations, which have been marred in recent years by the Saudi government’s murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi and recent disputes over Saudi Arabia’s insistence on cutting oil production during the war in Ukraine. Saudi Arabia also worked with China to broker a seeming thaw with Iran, even as U.S. officials hope to Saudi Arabia will agree to join the Abraham Accords with Israel.
“We see all sorts of new potential that goes to the dynamic of regional integration in the Middle East, with Saudi Arabia potentially in the middle of it; a de-escalation of conflict and crisis with one notable exception, Iran; and as well, the possibility to partner on game-changing issues and challenges,” Blinken said Wednesday at the Council on Foreign Relations. “It’s a long way of saying that, along with the foundational partnership that we’ve had, there are new horizons that are clear.”
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The shooting makes for a blemish to Eid al Adha, a major Muslim festival that commemorates the story of Abraham and Isaac and marks the end of the annual pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia.
“We value the countless contributions American Muslims make to our society, from education and healthcare to business and public service,” President Joe Biden said in a Tuesday evening statement on the religious festival. “May the spirit of Eid Al-Adha bring joy, peace, and unity to your hearts and homes. We look forward to welcoming home our American Muslim pilgrims who have earned the title ‘Al-Hajj.’ To them and to Muslims across the globe, we wish you a joyous and peaceful holiday. Eid Mubarak!”