An unspecified number of U.S. embassies and consulates around the world will be closed on Sunday as a "precautionary step," State Department spokesperson Marie Harf announced at a briefing Thursday.

Harf could not say how many installations would be closed or in what parts of the world, but State Department websites for embassies in Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and other countries posted announcements that they will be closed on Sunday.

CBS released a statement from a senior State Department official saying: "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."

On Sept. 11 of last year, four Americans, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens, were killed in an attack on a U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya. The U.S. embassy in Libya will be closed Sunday as well.

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