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
Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed risks of escalation around Iran in a phone call with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday, the Kremlin said in a statement.
Saudi Arabia intercepted Iranian missiles targeting two critical sites in the kingdom Sunday afternoon, the King Khalid International Airport and the Prince Sultan Air Base, which houses American military personnel.
Saudi Arabia issued a sharp condemnation of Iran Saturday, denouncing what it called a "brutal aggression" against its Gulf neighbors, as the region descended into unprecedented chaos following joint US-Israeli strikes on Iranian territory.
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