Saudi Defence Ministry says a fire broke out at the embassy, while local media reported a drone attack on Oman’s Duqm port.
Published On 3 Mar 2026
A “limited fire” has broken out at the United States Embassy in the Saudi capital of Riyadh after it was hit by two drones, while a fuel tank at Oman’s Duqm commercial port was hit in a drone attack, increasing regional pressure on Gulf Arab states housing US assets in retaliation for the US-Israeli attacks.
The strike on the US Embassy early on Tuesday caused “minor material damage” to the compound, the Saudi Ministry of Defence said in a statement. Later reports said more drones were targeting the site amid Iran’s retaliation across the Gulf to US-Israeli attacks.
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President Donald Trump told the NewsNation media outlet that the US response to the embassy attack and the killing of several American service members would soon be made clear. “You’ll find out soon,” he said.
Black smoke was seen rising over Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter, which houses foreign missions, after the attack, the Reuters news agency reported.
Three people told Reuters that a loud blast was heard and flames were seen at the embassy, though the Saudi Defence Ministry and one of the sources told the news agency that the fire in the aftermath of the drone attack was small in scale.
The embassy building was empty at the time of the attack, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters, and there were no reports of casualties.
A source close to the Saudi military, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the AFP news agency that air defences had intercepted four drones targeting the Diplomatic Quarter in the attack.
Meanwhile, the state-run Oman News Agency reported that a fuel tank at the country’s Duqm commercial port was hit in a drone attack, causing limited material damage and no casualties.
Iran later denied carrying out attacks on Oman, Iranian state media reported. Oman has been hit with several attacks, including one on Sunday involving two drones that wounded an expatriate worker.
Attacks on Bahrain, US personnel departures
Separately on Tuesday, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targeted a US airbase in Bahrain, it said in