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The U.S. Embassy drone attack in Riyadh struck on Tuesday when two drones hit the U.S. Embassy compound, causing a limited fire and minor damage with no casualties reported, Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry said.
The Saudi Defense Ministry said the embassy was hit by two drones, based on initial estimates, in a statement posted on X by the ministry's spokesperson.
The ministry said the attack caused "a limited fire" and minor material damage to the building, adding that no casualties were reported in the U.S. Embassy drone attack in Riyadh.
The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh issued a security alert announcing a shelter-in-place order for its missions in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dhahran.
"The U.S. Mission to Saudi Arabia has issued a shelter-in-place notification for Jeddah, Riyadh and Dhahran and is limiting non-essential travel to any military installations in the region; we recommend American citizens in the Kingdom shelter in place immediately," the embassy said in a statement posted on X.
The embassy said it continues to monitor the regional situation and urged U.S. citizens to maintain a personal safety plan, avoid demonstrations and large gatherings, and follow instructions from local authorities.
The U.S. Embassy drone attack in Riyadh came amid escalating regional tensions triggered by joint U.S.-Israeli military strikes on Iran, which launched on early Saturday, Feb. 28.
The strikes killed several top Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and top military officials.
Iran has responded with missiles and drones targeting Israel and U.S. military assets across the Gulf.
Kuwait said 27 of its military personnel have been injured since Iran’s retaliatory attacks began and that it detected and intercepted 178 ballistic missiles and 384 drones in its airspace, according to Brig. Gen. Saud al-Atwan, spokesperson for the Kuwaiti Defense Ministry, as cited by Kuwait’s KUNA news agency.
Al-Atwan said the armed forces remain on high alert and urged citizens and residents to rely on official sources and not spread unfounded news or videos on social media, according to KUNA.
Amid the U.S. Embassy drone attack and Riyadh fallout, Kuwait said Monday that two of its naval servicemen were killed as the U.S.-Iran conflict continued, according to the General Staff of the Kuwaiti Armed Forces.
Sgt. Walid Majid Sulaiman "was martyred while on duty," the Kuwait Army General Staff Headquarters said on X.
The military later said another naval serviceman, Sgt. Abdulaziz Abdulmohsen Daajl Naser, was killed Monday evening "while performing his national duties," adding it did not provide further details.
Iran retaliated not only against Israel but also with attacks on targets in regional countries hosting U.S. bases, including Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
U.S. Central Command stated on Monday that all Iranian vessels operating in the Gulf of Oman had been destroyed.
"Two days ago, the Iranian regime had 11 ships in the Gulf of Oman. Today, they have ZERO," Central Command said in a statement posted on X.
Iran's ambassador to the United Nations said the U.S. Embassy drone attack in Riyadh was part of a wider crisis and that Tehran is targeting U.S. facilities and bases, not the interests of neighboring countries, according to comments delivered at U.N. headquarters in New York.
"We are not attacking the interests of neighboring countries. We are attacking U.S. facilities and bases, and these bases are outside the control of the host countries," Amir Saeid Iravani, Tehran's permanent representative to the United Nations, said.
Iravani said Iran was not a "close threat" to the United States before the war and said Iran's nuclear program is "peaceful."
He said the United States attacked Iran again while the diplomatic process was continuing, and said Iran "does not want war or tension" but will continue to defend its sovereignty.
In additional figures, the Iranian Red Crescent said 555 people were killed, and 747 were injured in bombardments targeting the country.
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