Fire has broken out at the US embassy in the Saudi capital after a drone attack. The embassy is temporarily closed.
The American Embassy in Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, was hit by a drone attack on the night of Tuesday Danish time.
This is according to the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Defense, according to the news agency Reuters.
– According to preliminary assessments, the US embassy in Riyadh was attacked with two drones. The attack resulted in a limited fire and minor material damage to the building, says the Ministry of Defense in a statement.
Reuters writes that there was no one at the embassy when the attack happened.
The US embassy has confirmed on Tuesday morning that it has been attacked. In a statement, the embassy states that it is temporarily closing, writes the AFP news agency.
Heavy explosions and smoke
Earlier, on social media X, the embassy urged all American citizens in Saudi Arabia to seek shelter.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Denmark has updated its travel guide after the attack.
– The situation is serious and unpredictable. Stay indoors and pay extra attention to your personal safety, writes the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the website.
Several witnesses had shortly before told both Reuters and the AFP news agency that they had heard heavy explosions and observed black smoke from the diplomatic quarters in Riyadh.
It is the place in the capital where foreign embassies and residences for foreign diplomats are located.
Trump will announce a response
A source in the Saudi army told AFP that Saudi Arabia’s air defense intercepted four drones that were heading towards the area where the foreign embassies are located in Riyadh.
The President of the United States, Donald Trump, tells a journalist from the American media News Nation that they will soon find out how the United States will respond again to the attack in Riyadh. This is written by Reuters.
In recent days, Iran has attacked a number of American targets in, among other things, the countries of the Gulf region.
It is happening in response to the extensive American and Israeli attacks in Iran, which began at the weekend.
Unrest has blocked air traffic
On Saturday, the United States launched a large-scale air strike against Iran in cooperation with Israel. Since then, several high-ranking Iranian leaders have been killed, including Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Qatar’s Ministry of Defense announced on Tuesday night that it had intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles that were heading towards the country. This is written by AFP.
The regional unrest in the Middle East has put a damper on air traffic, among other things. Several hubs for international travelers have been paralyzed by the war, and thousands of flights have been cancelled.
/ritzau/
