Immediately after the incident, the US mission issued an order requesting citizens to take shelter on the spot in many major cities.
On the evening of March 2nd (local time), a spokesman for the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Defense said that the US Embassy in Riyadh was attacked by two unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). A Saudi official told NBC News that no one was injured in the incident.
According to initial estimates, the attack caused "a small fire and negligible material damage to the building". The information was posted by the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Defense on social network X.
On its official account, the US Embassy in Riyadh confirmed that the US Mission to Saudi Arabia has issued "on-the-spot shelter" orders for the cities of Jeddah, Riyadh and Dhahran.
We recommend that US citizens in the United Kingdom immediately take shelter on the spot," the statement stated.
The US State Department said that the Embassy was still open and operating normally before the attack occurred. However, after the incident, the US Mission restricted non-essential trips to military facilities in the area, and continued to closely monitor the security situation.
The US diplomatic mission also advised all citizens of this country to review travel plans in case of disruption, monitor the latest security warnings and develop personal safety plans.
Crisis can happen unexpectedly when traveling or living abroad, and a good plan will help you determine the appropriate action plan in advance," the announcement emphasized.
The recommended list includes: On-site shelter; monitoring security warnings on the official website; registering or re-registering for the US State Department's Smart Tourist Registration Program; ensuring passports are valid in case of urgent travel; raising vigilance; staying away from protests, crowded gatherings and areas with a dense presence of security forces; complying with instructions from local authorities.
On the Saudi Arabian side, the emergency response force provides numbers such as 911 (unified emergency hotline), 999 (police), 996 (highway security) and 997 (emergency).
There is currently no information about the perpetrators behind this UAV attack. The incident took place in the context of the Middle East region witnessing many complex security upheavals, increasing concerns about the risk of widespread attacks targeting diplomatic and military objectives.
Observers believe that the attack by UAV on a US diplomatic mission in Saudi Arabia's capital, although the damage is described as limited, is still a noteworthy sign of the level of security risk in the region since the US and Israel attacked Iran and Tehran responded to US facilities across the Middle East.
