The United States Embassy in the Saudi Arabian capital, Riyadh, was hit by Iranian drones.
The Saudi Defence Ministry reports that a fire broke out at the embassy, but the diplomatic compound sustained only ‘minor’ damage.
The United States Embassy in the Saudi Arabian capital, Riyadh, was struck by two drones early Tuesday, causing a “limited fire” and “minor material damage” to the diplomatic compound, according to a statement from the Saudi Ministry of Defence.
The attack occurred amid heightened tensions following US-Israeli attacks, with reports suggesting additional drones may have been targeting the site as part of Iran’s retaliation across the Gulf region.
According to Al Jazeera, there were later reports that more drones were targeting the area.
Black smoke was seen rising over Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter, which houses foreign missions, following the attack, the Reuters news agency reported. Three witnesses told Reuters that a loud blast was heard and flames were visible at the embassy, though the Saudi Defence Ministry and one source confirmed the fire was small in scale.
Two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that the embassy building was empty at the time of the attack, and there were no reports of casualties.
A source close to the Saudi military, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the AFP news agency that air defences had intercepted four drones targeting Riyadh’s diplomatic quarter during the incident.
US President Donald Trump told the NewsNation media outlet that America’s response to the embassy attack and the killing of four American service members would soon be made clear.
This was widely interpreted as a direct threat directed at Iran, which has been conducting strikes against Muslim countries perceived as allies of the US and Israel.
Al Jazeera’s Mike Hanna, reporting from Washington, DC, noted that President Trump’s approach of providing only brief comments to individual news organisations regarding such a significant attack was “unprecedented,” particularly at a time when the nation is engaged in a major conflict.
𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁𝘀𝗔𝗽𝗽 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗧𝗼 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗟𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗔𝘀 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗗𝗿𝗼𝗽!
