The U.S. embassy in Riyadh was attacked with two drones early Tuesday, causing a limited fire and minor material damage to the building, the Saudi Defense Ministry said in a statement published in X, citing a preliminary assessment. The incident comes amid growing regional escalation following recent attacks by the United States and Israel against Iran and the subsequent wave of Iranian retaliation
.Witnesses indicated that a loud explosion was heard in the diplomatic neighborhood of the Saudi capital, where numerous foreign headquarters are concentrated, and that flames and black smoke were seen rising over the area. According to people familiar with what happened, the fire was small in magnitude and no injuries were reported, in part because the building was empty in the early hours of the morning
.The U.S. diplomatic mission in Saudi Arabia confirmed the attack and immediately issued a notification to take refuge there for U.S. citizens in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dhahran. In addition, he recommended avoiding the diplomatic complex until further notice and limiting any non-essential travel to military installations in the kingdom. The mission indicated that it continues to closely monitor the evolution of the security situation in the region
.The attack occurs in a context of growing tension following the bombings carried out over the weekend by American and Israeli forces against strategic military objectives in Iranian territory. In response, Tehran has intensified the launch of missiles and drones against Gulf countries that host U.S. bases, expanding
