Iran drone attack on US embassy in Saudi Arabia hits CIA station: Report | world News
An Iranian drone attack on the US Embassy in Saudi Arabia last month caused far more damage than officials in the kingdom had previously anticipated and dealt a major blow. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) facility within the complex, according to a latest report by The Wall Street Journal citing current and former US officials.The attack occurred in Riyadh on March 3, when a drone breached the air defenses protecting the Saudi capital’s diplomatic quarter and struck the US compound. Officials said a second drone arrived shortly afterward, flew into the crack created by the first drone, and exploded.
The attacks took place around 1.30 am and targeted a secure part of the embassy compound. According to officials, three floors were heavily damaged and areas including the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) station were affected. While Saudi officials initially described the incident as causing only minor material damage and limited fire, sources told The Wall Street Journal that the fire lasted about half a day and that parts of the embassy could not be repaired. No injuries were reported, but officials said that if the attack had occurred during working hours and been stopped in time, it could have resulted in mass casualties.Additional drones were intercepted later that night, including debris falling near a preschool. A drone is believed to have targeted the residence of the most senior US diplomat in Saudi Arabia.Bernard Hudson, former CIA counterterrorism chief, said, “It was able to produce a weapon indigenously, fire it hundreds of miles, and put it into the embassy of their top rival, which meant they could hit whoever they wanted in the city.”“The true extent of the damage caused at these locations has been completely highlighted,” he said. “This raises suspicions that much damage may actually have been caused.”The incident is part of a broader escalation in which Iran and allied groups have targeted US diplomatic and military sites across the region. Embassies and consulates in Baghdad, Dubai, Kuwait City, Riyadh and Erbil have faced missile or drone attacks, although none resulted in American deaths.The US State Department said it did not disclose specific security measures but confirmed it was monitoring threats in Saudi Arabia and advised citizens to avoid places associated with Americans.The broader conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel, which began on February 28, has now entered its second month, raising tensions across the Middle East and raising concerns of broader regional escalation. The confrontation began with joint US-Israeli attacks on Iranian military and security infrastructure, after which Tehran retaliated with missile and drone attacks on US targets in the Gulf and other regional bases, leading to sustained exchanges between the two sides. Not just Riyadh, US embassies and consulates in Baghdad and Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan have also been targeted, with attacks reported near US diplomatic facilities amid the ongoing conflict. According to multiple reports, similar threats and attack attempts have spread across the Gulf, including in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.
