Two drones struck the US Embassy in Riyadh early on Tuesday, destroying part of it and setting a fire. The Ministry of Defence of Saudi Arabia confirmed that this attack here was part of the broader military conflict in Riyadh that is associated with "Operation Epic Fury", which continues as a part of the war ongoing between the United States & Israel versus Iran, which has been in its fourth day of heavy combat.
President Trump has expressed a very stern warning to Iran regarding the attack on the embassy that “the world will soon know” what the US response will be. His comments follow not only the embassy strike but the confirmed deaths of six US service members since the hostilities began on February 28. Despite the escalation, Trump suggested that a large-scale ground invasion might not be necessary, claiming that current aerial operations are already inflicting "tremendous damage" on Iranian infrastructure.
In Riyadh, the embassy has issued a "shelter in place" order for American citizens across Saudi Arabia, including those in Jeddah and Dhahran, advising them to stay clear of the mission until further notice. This comes even as videos of the incident have been going around, showing thick smoke rising from the diplomatic area. However, the Saudi authorities pointed out that the blaze was "limited" and that there were no injuries reported, since the building was largely empty at the time of the strike.
The attack is part of a broader wave of Iranian retaliation that has seen missiles and drones target various Gulf states hosting American bases. This regional "tit-for-tat" has effectively paralysed West Asian aviation; although Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport remains technically open, hundreds of flights have been grounded due to the total closure of airspace over neighbouring Kuwait, the UAE, and Qatar.
With the assassination of Ayatollah Khamenei and the destruction of the IRGC headquarters, the situation remains volatile.
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