Dare Babalola
Reports indicate that Iran has launched an attack on the United States Embassy in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, sparking a fire in the diplomatic area.
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defence said two drones hit the embassy compound in the early hours of Tuesday, causing “minor material damage” and “a small fire”.
Plumes of black smoke were observed rising above Riyadh’s diplomatic district, an area hosting several foreign missions, according to reports from Iran Wire.
“A loud blast was heard, and flames were visible at the site, although authorities described the fire as limited in scale”.
The embassy building was reportedly empty at the time of the attack, and no casualties were recorded.
Air defence systems were said to have intercepted four drones targeting the diplomatic quarter during the assault.
The embassy later urged American citizens to avoid the compound.
The strike followed a separate incident at the US Embassy in Kuwait, which announced it would remain closed until further notice.
The US State Department also ordered the evacuation of non-emergency personnel and families from Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Qatar and Jordan as a precaution.
US President Donald Trump told reporters that Washington’s response to the embassy attack and the killing of American service members would soon be clear.
“You’ll find out soon,” he said.
The embassy strike comes amid an escalation of hostilities across the Gulf region.
Iran has launched drone and missile attacks on targets in countries hosting American military assets, describing the operations as retaliation for joint US-Israeli strikes on its territory.
On Monday, Saudi Aramco, the state-owned oil company, shut down its Ras Tanura refinery after a fire was sparked by debris from an Iranian drone attack on the facility.
