Iran hits US embassy in Riyadh as American citizens urged to leave Middle East
Two Iranian drones struck the US embassy in Riyadh on Tuesday, as Tehran continued attacks on American bases and diplomatic missions in the region in retaliation for the war launched against it.
Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry said the strike caused a fire and material damage at the embassy.
Sources speaking to Reuters said a loud explosion was heard and flames were seen at the compound. There were no immediate reports of injuries, particularly as the building was reportedly empty at the time.
Hours after Saudi authorities confirmed the strike on the US embassy in the capital, two further explosions were heard in Riyadh’s diplomatic quarter, according to the agency. Black smoke was seen rising over the area, which houses several foreign missions.
Responding to the Iranian strikes and the reported killing of six soldiers since the war began, US President Donald Trump told NewsNation in an interview: “You’ll find out soon” how the United States would retaliate, without giving further details.
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He added that he did not “think boots on the ground [in Iran] will be necessary”.
The US embassy in Kuwait was also targeted, and later announced it would close “until further notice”, cancelling all regular and emergency consular appointments.
Americans told to evacuate region
The Iranian attacks follow a joint US–Israeli offensive launched on Saturday, in which Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, several other senior officials and hundreds of civilians were killed.
Around 150 girls were killed in an initial strike on a school in southern Iran.
According to the Red Crescent Society, at least 787 people have been killed so far in US and Israeli attacks, while at least 11 people have been killed in Iranian strikes on Israel and five in attacks in the Gulf.
Iran has retaliated by targeting American bases in the region and disrupting key oil trade routes.
Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Jordan have all been targeted with Iranian ballistic missiles and drones.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it has targeted over 500 US and Israeli sites, using 700 drones and hundreds of missiles.
Amid the escalating tensions, the US issued evacuation warnings on Monday, urging Americans to leave several countries in the region, including Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, the Palestinian territories, Jordan, Egypt, Yemen and Gulf states.
Meanwhile, the US embassy in Israel said it is "not in a position at this time to evacuate or directly assist Americans in departing Israel".
The United States ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, said Americans in Israel faced “very limited options” to leave the country as regional tensions intensify.
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