An Iranian drone attack on the US Embassy in Saudi Arabia in March resulted in more damage than was publicly revealed, the Wall Street Journal reports, citing current and former American officials.
In the March 3 nighttime attack, two Iranian drones slammed into a secure area of the embassy where hundreds of people work during the day and heavily damaged three floors, including a CIA station, current and former officials, and people familiar with the matter tell the Journal.
The attack resulted in a blaze that raged for half a day, leading to irreversible damage to parts of the compound, a person briefed on the matter says.
Officials say that if the embassy had been attacked during the working day, it would have caused a mass-casualty event.
At the time, the Saudi Defense Ministry claimed the attack only resulted in limited fire and minor damage.
Your next read: ToI Editors' Picks
LIMITED TIME OFFER: Join The Times of Israel Community today and you'll receive a physical book of your choice, carefully curated by our editors.
Choose between two must-reads: When We See You Again by Rachel Goldberg-Polin, a searing portrait of a mother’s grief and strength following unthinkable tragedy;
Or Out of the Sky: Heroism and Rebirth in Nazi Europe by Matti Friedman, the gripping and surprising tale of a forgotten moment during World War II.
As a Community member, you’ll also enjoy our DocuNation series of outstanding Israeli documentary films, an ad-free experience of our site and podcasts, commenting privileges, and more.
CHOOSE YOUR BOOK
CHOOSE YOUR BOOK
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this