Islamists? Five years ago Obama gave his Cairo speech

US to close overseas embassies over security fears

Britain said it was reviewing safety at overseas embassies after America announced on Thursday it was closing an unspecified number of its missions around the Islamic world over security concerns.

US diplomatic posts in Afghanistan, Egypt, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and other countries will close on Sunday out of concerns about a possible terror plot.

Marie Harf, state department spokesman, said it was a "precautionary" step, but declined to specify the threat or which US embassies would be closed.

"The Department of State has instructed certain US embassies and consulates to remain closed or to suspend operations on Sunday, August 4," Harf told reporters.

The decision was taken "out of an abundance of caution and care for our employees and others who may be visiting our installations," she said.

Harf said that the embassies would be closed specifically on Sunday, with an assessment afterwards on whether to reopen them.

"It is possible we may have additional days of closing as well," she said.

A Foreign Office spokesman said that Britain was aware of the announcement and was in "close contact with US authorities".

"We will consider each of our embassies on a case-by-case basis; clearly the safety of all our staff overseas is always our highest priority," the spokesman said.

Mrs Harf declined to specify from which part of the world the threat was detected.

The US has been especially cautious about security since an attack on its consulate in Benghazi, Libya, on September 11 last year.

Four Americans were killed in the attack, including Ambassador Chris Stevens, and led critics in Congress to accuse the state department of insufficient security.