Daijiworld Media Network - Riyadh
Riyadh, Mar 3: A loud explosion was heard and thick black smoke billowed over the Diplomatic Quarter in Riyadh late Monday night after the Embassy of the United States, Riyadh came under a drone attack, amid intensifying hostilities across West Asia.
According to the Saudi Ministry of Defense, two drones struck the embassy compound, triggering a limited fire and causing minor structural damage. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
The incident comes as tensions escalate following a barrage of Iranian missile and drone attacks across the region in retaliation for joint US-Israeli military strikes on Iranian targets. Witnesses quoted by Reuters said black smoke was seen rising over Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter, which houses several foreign missions.
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday vowed retaliation for the embassy attack and for the deaths of six US service members since hostilities began on Saturday. In remarks to the media, Trump indicated that “boots on the ground” may be considered if necessary — a departure from his earlier stance suggesting such deployment might not be required.
The United States Department of State issued a “shelter in place” advisory for American personnel in Jeddah, Riyadh and Dhahran, and restricted non-essential travel to military installations across the region.
On Monday, US embassies in Kuwait and Jordan were also struck. Staff at the US mission in Amman were temporarily evacuated following a security threat. In Iraq, clashes erupted near the US Embassy in Baghdad for a second consecutive day, with protesters hurling stones at security forces, who responded with tear gas. Authorities alleged that some demonstrators fired live rounds during attempts to breach the fortified Green Zone.
The violence follows sustained US and Israeli strikes on multiple Iranian cities since Saturday, reportedly killing 555 people, including Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Tehran has responded with sweeping missile and drone attacks across the Gulf, targeting both land and maritime assets.
Protests have also erupted in several countries. In Pakistan, unrest was reported outside US consulates in Karachi and Lahore, resulting in casualties among demonstrators. Similar scenes were witnessed in Baghdad.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged American citizens to leave major parts of the Middle East, citing “serious safety risks.” The advisory covers Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
Trump said US military operations could last four to five weeks but asserted that Washington has the capability to continue longer if required. For the first time, he outlined objectives including dismantling Iran’s missile systems, naval capacity and nuclear programme, and curbing its support for armed groups in the region — though he stopped short of calling for regime change.
Iran has warned of severe consequences, including threats to disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical energy corridor through which nearly 20 percent of global seaborne oil passes. Airspace across much of the Middle East remains closed, severely disrupting international flight operations.
Rubio said Washington entered the conflict after learning that Israel was set to strike Iran and anticipated immediate retaliation. “The imminent threat was that we knew that if Iran was attacked — and we believed they would be attacked — that they would immediately come after us,” he said before briefing lawmakers.
With the Gulf hosting large expatriate populations and key energy infrastructure, fears are mounting over a broader regional conflagration and its potential impact on global oil markets and economic stability.