A loud explosion rocked Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter as thick black smoke billowed into the sky above the US Embassy, marking the latest escalation in a widening regional conflict.
Witnesses told Reuters they saw plumes of dark smoke rising over the area, which houses numerous foreign missions in the Saudi capital. The incident follows Iranian attacks launched in response to Israeli military action, further intensifying tensions across the Middle East.
Drone Strike Sparks Fire
According to a Saudi defence ministry spokesperson, two drones targeted the US Embassy compound in Riyadh. The strike triggered what officials described as a “limited fire” and caused minor material damage to the building.
The US Embassy in Saudi Arabia subsequently issued a shelter-in-place advisory for American citizens in Jeddah, Riyadh and Dhahran. In its notification, the embassy urged residents to remain indoors and said it was restricting non-essential travel to military installations in the region.
The attack comes just a day after the US Embassy in Kuwait compound was struck, underscoring the vulnerability of American diplomatic missions as hostilities widen.
Conflict Shows No Sign of Easing
With no immediate sign of de-escalation, US President Donald Trump indicated that military operations could continue for four to five weeks. He added, however, that he was prepared “to go far longer than that” if necessary.
