A suspected Iranian drone struck the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) station located at the US Embassy in Saudi Arabia, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday.
The source added that there was no indication the CIA station was the intended target.
The Washington Post reported that a State Department alert said the building sustained structural damage. The attack comes amid escalating strikes across the Middle East following US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran on Saturday.
The US Embassy in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, is among several American facilities affected. Saudi Arabia’s Defence Ministry said two drones hit the embassy, causing a small fire and some material damage.
Following the incident, the US mission in Saudi Arabia warned American citizens to avoid the embassy until further notice due to the threat of attacks. Routine and emergency consular services were also cancelled on Tuesday.
In a separate alert, the mission cautioned that “there is a threat of imminent missile and UAV attacks over Dhahran” and advised people not to visit the US Consulate.
#With inputs from TRT World