Drones hit the US Embassy in Saudi Arabia as Americans were told to hide in place.

 

The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh was hit by Iranian drones launched in retaliation against Operation Epic Fury. (Fox News)

Americans ordered to shelter in place across Saudi Arabia as Iran continues retaliatory attacks in the region

The U.S.  On Monday, Iran's Embassy in Riyadh was hit by two drones, and Americans in Saudi Arabia were told to stay put. At the time of the attacks, the embassy was empty, and there were no reports of injuries. The shelter in place order for Jeddah, Riyadh, and Dhahran remained in effect, according to a security alert issued by the embassy on Tuesday. Additionally, the alert stated that U.S. citizens in Saudi Arabia were instructed to remain inside. Due to the attack, it also advised Americans to "avoid the embassy until further notice." "We advise all citizens of the United States to keep a personal safety plan." "A good plan helps you think through potential scenarios and determine in advance the best course of action," the embassy's Tuesday alert stated. Crises can occur unexpectedly while traveling or living abroad.

The U.S. Embassy headquarters in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, after drone strikes on March 3, 2026. (AFP/via Getty Images)

The State Department's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), enrolling U.S. citizens to ensure their passports are valid for potential short-notice travel, sheltering in place, avoiding demonstrations and large gatherings, following local authorities' instructions, and monitoring official information sources for the most recent updates were all mentioned in the security alert. In a video that was shared on X, Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Americans living in the Middle East to sign up for STEP, claiming that doing so would enable them to view the most recent safety and security advice in light of Iran's "cowardly attacks."

"The repetition of this cowardly and unjustified attack blatantly violates all international norms and laws, including the 1949 Geneva Convention and the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations," the Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement condemning the attack. The statement issued by the foreign ministry read, "The Kingdom emphasizes that the repetition of this flagrant Iranian behavior, which comes despite the Iranian authorities’ knowledge that the Kingdom has affirmed it will not allow its airspace or territory to be used to target Iran, will push the region toward further escalation." Iran has launched attacks in the region against Israel and several countries that have U.S. interests in retaliation for the U.S. and Israel's joint military offensive known as Operation Epic Fury.  On February, Saudi Arabia criticized the retaliation. 28.

A woman walks past a building which was damaged after a strike on a police station amid the U.S.–Israeli military campaign in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (Vahid Salemi/AP Photo)

"The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia expresses its rejection and condemnation in the strongest terms of the blatant and cowardly Iranian attacks that targeted the Riyadh Region and the Eastern Province, which were successfully intercepted," the Saudi Foreign Ministry's Feb. 28 statement read.  "These attacks cannot be justified in any way or under any pretext, and they came despite the Iranian authorities' knowledge that the Kingdom had stated that it would not permit the use of its airspace or territory to target Iran," the statement reads. The State Department has ordered non-emergency personnel and their families to be evacuated from Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Qatar, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates amid the retaliatory strikes.

Source: Fox News