The United States Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was targeted by drones early Tuesday, causing a minor fire at the diplomatic compound.

While no casualties were reported, the attack comes amid heightened tensions following recent US-Israeli operations in the Gulf.

According to the Saudi Defence Ministry, two drones struck the US Embassy in Riyadh, resulting in a limited fire and minor material damage to the facility. Black smoke was seen rising over the city’s Diplomatic Quarter, home to several foreign missions.

Three witnesses told Reuters that a loud blast was heard, followed by flames at the embassy, though officials confirmed the fire remained small in scale. The embassy building was reportedly empty at the time, and no injuries occurred.

US Embassy in Riyadh attacked pic.twitter.com/CANi0AnCrC
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A source close to the Saudi military, speaking anonymously, told AFP that air defence systems intercepted four additional drones targeting Riyadh’s diplomatic quarter. The Ministry of Defence reiterated that the damage to the US Embassy was minor and contained.

US response and president’s comments

US President Donald Trump addressed the attack in brief comments to NewsNation, promising that the American response to the embassy strike and the recent killing of four US service members would be made clear soon. Analysts noted his unconventional approach of providing piecemeal updates to individual media outlets amid a major conflict.

Al Jazeera’s Mike Hanna commented from Washington, DC, that this style of communication is unprecedented for a president during an active international crisis, leaving the American public with limited information.

Safety measures for Americans

The US Embassy in Saudi Arabia issued a “shelter in place” notice to American citizens in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dhahran. Citizens were advised to avoid the embassy and follow local security instructions until further notice.

“We recommend American citizens in the Kingdom to shelter in place immediately and avoid the Embassy until further notice due to an attack on the facility. The US Mission to Saudi Arabia continues to monitor the regional situation,” the embassy stated.