A drone attack targeted the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in the early hours of Tuesday, 3 March, causing a fire and some property damage.
The Saudi Ministry of Defense stated on platform X that, based on an initial assessment, two drones attacked the U.S. Embassy, resulting in a minor fire and property damage, but no injuries have been reported.
This attack occurred amid regional tensions following Iran's missile and drone strikes on Gulf Arab states hosting U.S. military bases, in retaliation for U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran the previous Saturday.
At least three sources reported hearing loud explosions and seeing flames at the embassy early in the morning, with one source noting that the fire was not severe.
Images showed black smoke rising above Riyadh’s diplomatic quarter, which houses embassies and diplomatic missions from several countries. Two sources confirmed there were no injuries as the embassy building was empty during the early hours.
Following the incident, the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh issued a "shelter in place" order, advising American citizens in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dhahran to remain indoors and avoid traveling to the embassy until further notice due to the attack on the embassy building.
So far, neither the U.S. Embassy spokesperson nor the Saudi government media office has provided further comments on the incident.
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