Iran’s March 3 drone attack on US Embassy in Riyadh led to more damage than publicly revealed — report

The US embassy headquarters in Riyadh is pictured on March 3, 2026, after it was hit by drone strikes earlier. (AFP)
The US embassy headquarters in Riyadh is pictured on March 3, 2026, after it was hit by drone strikes earlier. (AFP)

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.

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