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WSJ: Iranian Drones Caused Severe Interior Damage at US Embassy in Riyadh

The new details highlight a wider regional escalation.

Overview

  • Citing current and former U.S. officials, the Wall Street Journal reports two Shahed-type drones hit the compound minutes apart, with the second detonating inside after flying through the first blast hole.
  • The strikes tore through a secure work area, heavily damaged three floors, and affected a CIA workstation, with one section described as not recoverable.
  • Saudi Arabia’s Defence Ministry had called the result a limited fire and minor damage, which contrasts with accounts of a blaze that burned for roughly half a day.
  • Officials reported no casualties because the attack came overnight, and security forces intercepted other drones with debris falling near a preschool.
  • U.S. closures of its embassies in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait followed the attacks as Iran-linked strikes widened to other U.S. diplomatic and military sites, with official reports noting downed U.S. aircraft and multiple American casualties.