The US Embassy in Riyadh was attacked by 2 drones, Saudi Arabia says
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- The US Embassy in Riyadh targeted by drones, Saudi officials said, causing minor damage and a small fire at the building.
- Saudi Arabia's defense ministry said the attack caused a small fire and some building damage.
- The US Embassy in Riyadh issued a shelter-in-place alert in Saudi Arabia.
The US Embassy in Riyadh was struck by drones, officials in Saudi Arabia said in a post on X.
Saudi Arabia's defense ministry said in a statement around 3:30 a.m. local time that the embassy was attacked by two drones, according to initial estimates, and that it resulted in a small fire and some minor damage to the building.
A few minutes prior, the US Embassy in Riyadh issued a "shelter in place" security alert for Saudi Arabia.
"The US Mission to Saudi Arabia has issued a shelter in place notification for Jeddah, Riyadh, and Dhahran and are limiting non-essential travel to any military installations in the region — we recommend American citizens in the Kingdom to shelter in place immediately," the alert said, adding it encouraged all Americans to " maintain a personal safety plan."
The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Earlier on Monday, the State Department ordered Americans in over a dozen countries in the Middle East to evacuate immediately via commercial travel. Most airlines, however, have temporarily suspended almost all flights to and from the region.
The region has been under high threat from Iranian missiles and drones after the US and Israel launched strikes using warplanes, warships, and ground-based launchers against hundreds of targets in Iran on Saturday. Iran's longtime supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in the first salvos.
As the American and Israeli bombardment continues, Gulf countries known to partner with Washington or host US military bases say they've intercepted hundreds of Iranian retaliatory attacks.
The resulting conflict has plunged the Middle East's wealthiest cities into chaos, with drones and missile debris damaging luxury tourist spots, airports, and residential areas over the weekend.
Saudi Arabian military authorities have so far reported over a dozen drone attacks.
On Monday, smoke was reported rising in the vicinity of the US embassy in Kuwait, which told Americans in the country to shelter in place.
"There is a continuing threat of missile and UAV attacks over Kuwait. Do not come to the Embassy," its statement read.
President Donald Trump said on Monday that the strikes could last four to five weeks, but that the US was prepared for the campaign to "go far longer than that."
US officials have said that the airstrikes were carried out in part to cripple Iran's conventional ballistic missile infrastructure, drones, and naval assets.
State Secretary Marco Rubio told reporters on Monday that Tehran was growing its missile stockpiles and technology, and would have used them to shield a revived nuclear weapons program.
However, Trump also said on Saturday that the decapitation strikes against Iran could allow its citizens to topple their theocratic government. It remains to be seen how and when the US might assess that its strategic objectives have been met.
Meanwhile, at least six US military service members have been killed after an Iranian strike at a fortified tactical operations center in the region.