The US Embassy located in Riyadh was hit by two drones, causing a “limited fire” to break out. At the same time, drones fired at a fuel tank at Oman’s commercial port, increasing pressure on Gulf Arab states housing U.S. assets.
US Embassy Strike
The strike on the US Embassy, early Tuesday, caused “minor material damage” to the compound, according to a statement from the Saudi Ministry of Defence. Later, it was reported that more drones targeted the site.
Black smoke rose over the Diplomatic Quarter, which houses foreign missions. Three people reported hearing a loud blast and seeing flames at the embassy. One source said the fire in the aftermath of the attack was of a small scale. These sources spoke with Reuters through the Saudi Defence Ministry.
Reuters also received reports stating the US Embassy was empty at the time of the attack, and no casualties have been reported.
On Tuesday, the US Department of State ordered non-emergency personnel to leave Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, and Iraq.
The US Embassy in Kuwait closed indefinitely due to “regional tensions.”
The US Embassy in Jerusalem said it was unable to evacuate or directly assist Americans who wanted to depart Israel.
The US Embassy in Saudi Arabia was ordered to “shelter in place” in the cities of Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dhahram during the attacks.
“We recommend American citizens in the Kingdom shelter in place immediately and avoid the Embassy until further notice due to an attack on the facility. The US Mission to monitor the regional situation,” reported the embassy.
Other Iranian Strikes
In a separate attack on Tuesday, in a statement, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced it targeted a US airbase in Bahrain.
“The IRGC announced that … its naval forces carried out a large-scale drone and missile attack at dawn on the US air base in the Sheikh Isa area of Bahrain,” posted IRNA on the Telegram app.
It said it launched three missiles and 20 drones “destroying the bases’s main command headquarters.” The post did not offer any evidence of the strike.
In Fujairah, one of the emirates of the United Arab Emirates, a drone was intercepted over the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone, causing shrapnel to fall and create a fire. The fire was put out, and operations resumed.
Sources:
Al Jazeera: US Embassy in Riyadh hit by drones, Iran claims strike on US’s Bahrain base
Al Jazeera: Iran live news: US embassy in Riyadh hit; Israel seizes land in Lebanon
AP News: Live updates: Strikes escalate across the Middle East as Iran attacks US embassy in Saudi Arabia
Featured Image Courtesy of Stephen Downes’ Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
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