The U.S. embassy in Riyadh was hit by two drones resulting in a limited fire and some material damage, the kingdom's defence ministry said in a post on X on Tuesday, citing an initial assessment.
Vehicles drive along a street near the Diplomatic Quarter, following drone strikes that hit the U.S. embassy compound and were intercepted by Saudi air defences, according to the Defence Ministry, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, March 3, 2026, Reuters
The U.S. embassy in Riyadh was hit by two drones resulting in a limited fire and some material damage, the kingdom's defence ministry said in a post on X on Tuesday, citing an initial assessment.
The drone attack came amid ongoing Iranian missile and drone strikes on Gulf states that host U.S. bases, following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on Saturday.
Reuters was not immediately able to confirm the circumstances of the incident.
A loud blast was heard and flames were seen at the U.S. embassy in Riyadh early on Tuesday morning, three people familiar with the matter said, with one person saying the fire was minor.
Black smoke was seen rising over Riyadh's Diplomatic Quarter, which houses foreign missions.
There were no reported injuries, two of the people familiar with the matter said, given the building was empty in the early morning hours.
The embassy issued a "shelter in place" notice early on Tuesday for U.S. citizens in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dhahran, and recommended that they avoid the embassy until further notice due to the attack on the facility.
An embassy spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment, nor did the Saudi government media office.
By Timour Azhari
Lebanon's aviation regulator has carried out a safety audit of Middle East Airlines as pilot groups raised concerns that crews were being asked to fly close to airstrikes and penalized for reporting safety incidents, letters seen by Reuters show.
Kuwait's military reported Wednesday that it had intercepted a barrage of approximately 30 missiles and drones in what it described as an "Iranian aggression," leaving one person dead and numerous others wounded.
The European Union has proposed that the bloc's Aspides naval mission take "the primary role" in clearing mines in the Strait of Hormuz "when conditions allow" as part of a Franco-British-led initiative, according to a document seen by Reuters.
To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.