Did US Embassy in Saudi downplay damage from Iranian drone attack? Report reveals shocking details
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Did US Embassy in Saudi downplay damage from Iranian drone attack? Report reveals shocking details")
The US embassy headquarters in Riyadh is pictured on March 3, 2026, after it was hit by drone strikes earlier. Photograph: (AFP)
Iranian drones struck the US Embassy in Saudi Arabia, causing far greater damage than initially disclosed, reportedly. Multiple floors were hit, including a secure area, and a major fire caused destruction.
After an Iranian drone strike on the US Embassy in Saudi Arabia last month, more extensive damage had occurred than earlier disclosed, a report suggests. The attack happened during the first week of the war in West Asia when an Iranian drone evaded Riyadh’s air defences and crashed into the American diplomatic compound. A minute later, a second drone hit the same place and exploded. The revelation comes as US President Donald Trump continues to claim that Iran is being “decimated” by the US-Israeli attacks.
According to a Wall Street Journal report, citing current and former US officials, the nighttime strikes penetrated a secure part of the embassy, where several hundred people work during the day, and severely damaged three floors. The report added that the Central Intelligence Agency station was among the areas struck in the drone attack.
Following the attack, the Saudi Defence Ministry had said that the strike resulted in limited fire and minor damage. However, officials told WSJ that the destruction was worse and sparked a blaze that took half a day to control. They added that parts of the embassy were damaged and not recoverable.
The attack happened on March 3 at 1:30 am when the staff was not present. Officials said that if it had happened during working hours, it could have been a mass-casualty event. This suggests that Iran sent a message through the attack that it could strike Americans in places they believed were protected.
“It was able to produce an indigenously made weapon, fire it across hundreds of miles and put it into the embassy of their top opponent, which means they could have hit anything they wanted in the city,” Bernard Hudson, a former CIA counterterrorism chief with extensive experience in Persian Gulf states including Saudi Arabia, told the Post.
“There’s been a complete blackout on the actual amount of damage done to these places,” he said of the US embassies and bases. “That feeds suspicions that a lot more damage may have actually happened.”
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Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, the US, Gulf nations and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.
