Iranian Drone Strike Hits US Embassy Amid Rising Tensions as Trump Vows Strong Reprisal

The US embassy in Saudi Arabia recently came under attack as drones targeted the facility, prompting former President Donald Trump to vow a swift response. Explosions resonated through Riyadh, accompanied by visible smoke in the area.

According to the State Department, as reported by The Wall Street Journal, the embassy was hit by two unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which impacted both the roof and the perimeter of the chancery.

CNN added that these drones are suspected to be of Iranian origin. Fortunately, there have been no reports of injuries resulting from the attack.

The State Department confirmed, “The post is sheltering in place with no reported injuries.”

Furthermore, the embassy has implemented restrictions on non-essential travel to military installations throughout the region, as detailed in a statement shared via social media.

The Saudi Defense Ministry said in a statement that the drone strike resulted in a ‘limited’ fire and minor material damage. 

Trump told News Nation Monday night that ‘you’ll find soon’ what the retaliation will be for the attack but also that he doesn’t think boots on the ground will be needed.

The strike comes just days after the president authorized preemptive strikes against Tehran. 

The conflict in the Middle East may have taken another turn as a fire at the US embassy in Saudi Arabia (pictured) was reported, as loud explosions were heard and clouds of smoke were seen in Riyadh.

It came just days after Donald Trump (pictured) launched an attack on Iran

A fire broke out at the embassy in the Saudi capital after a blast, two sources told Reuters on Tuesday. 

The explosions and smoke came from Riyadh’s diplomatic quarter, home to foreign embassies in the Saudi capital and residences of foreign diplomats, four witnesses told AFP early Tuesday morning.

‘I heard two explosions followed by smoke rising over the quarter,’ said a resident who preferred to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the matter. 

Three people familiar with the matter said a loud blast was heard and flames were seen at the embassy early on Tuesday morning. One of the sources said the fire was minor. 

The blasts were heard as Iran pressed its campaign targeting Gulf states including Saudi Arabia with waves of missile and drone attacks in response to US and Israeli air strikes.

The Daily Mail has reached out to the State Department for comment.

The US launched preemptive strikes against Iran after learning Israel was about to attack — and American troops in the region faced an imminent threat of retaliation, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday. 

Rubio made the revelation on Capitol Hill, where he briefed a small group of congressional leaders on the joint US-Israel offensive.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on Monday that the ‘imminent threat’ that prompted the US to strike Iran was the threat US soldiers would face after Israel’s planned strike on the Middle Eastern country

‘There absolutely was an imminent threat,’ Rubio stated. ‘And 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, and we were not going to sit there and absorb a blow before we responded.’ 

Rubio said the Department of War determined that a defensive posture following an Israeli attack would only open the US to more casualties. Five American soldiers have died so far in combat. 

‘We went proactively in a defensive way to prevent them from inflicting higher damage,’ he said. 

The revelation outraged both Democrats and Republicans.

The United States has urged all Americans to leave 15 countries across the Middle East ahead of a planned ‘major uptick’ in strikes on Iran.

State Department officials announced Monday that any Americans currently in the Middle East should evacuate immediately, and offered assistance to anyone who was struggling to arrange transportation out of the country.

That announcement came as a senior official told CNN’s Jim Sciutto that the US is preparing for a ‘major uptick’ in strikes on Iran over the next 24 hours, targeting the country’s missile production, drones and naval capabilities.

But already Iran has started firing back, killing six American soldiers and striking an American-allied fuel tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards now say the strait is closed and Iran will set fire on any ship which attempts to pass through.

A major oil refinery at Ras Tanura, Saudi Arabia, was also shuttered on Monday after being hit by a drone as motorists in the UK face warnings of potential ‘record prices at the pumps’.

Meanwhile, Qatar shot down two Iranian fighter jets after it was attacked by Tehran today and forced to shut off its gas production following a drone strike.

The Qatari defense ministry announced two Su-24 bombers were brought down, while seven missiles and five drones were also intercepted during several attacks on the Gulf state.