Riyadh: Tensions across the Gulf have escalated sharply after the United States Embassy in Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, was struck by two drones, triggering a limited fire inside the diplomatic compound.
Saudi authorities said the attack caused minor material damage, while later reports suggested additional drones were launched toward the site as part of Iran’s broader retaliation across the region following US-Israeli strikes.
Black smoke was seen rising over Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter, home to multiple foreign missions, after a loud blast was heard in the area. Witnesses reported flames inside the compound, though officials described the fire as small in scale.
Two people familiar with the matter confirmed the embassy building was empty at the time of the strike, and no casualties were reported. A source close to the Saudi military said air defences intercepted four drones targeting the Diplomatic Quarter.
Update | Security Alert: Shelter in Place – U.S. Mission to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, (Mar.3, 2026)
The U.S. 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…
— U.S. Embassy Riyadh (@USAinKSA) March 3, 2026
Shelter-in-Place notice issued
The US Embassy in Saudi Arabia issued a shelter in place notice to American citizens in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dhahran. “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 statement read.
The embassy later cancelled all services across multiple missions in Saudi Arabia and urged US nationals to maintain personal safety plans as regional tensions intensified.
Iran claims strike on US base in Bahrain
In a separate development, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed responsibility for a large-scale drone and missile attack on a US airbase in Bahrain.
According to Iran’s state news agency IRNA, the IRGC said it launched 20 drones and three missiles targeting the US base in the Sheikh Isa area, allegedly destroying the facility’s main command headquarters. The claim has not been independently verified.
The attack forms part of what Tehran describes as retaliation for US and Israeli strikes on Iran that began over the weekend.
Regional evacuations ordered
The US State Department has ordered non-emergency personnel to leave Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan and Iraq as a precautionary measure. US Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Mora Namdar also urged Americans in multiple Middle Eastern countries, including Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Israel, to depart immediately using available commercial transport.
In Kuwait, the US embassy announced it would close indefinitely due to regional tensions. Meanwhile, the US Embassy in Jerusalem said it was unable to directly assist or evacuate Americans seeking to leave Israel.
The developments mark a significant escalation in regional hostilities, increasing pressure on Gulf states that host American military and diplomatic assets as Iran expands its retaliatory campaign.
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