Iran humiliates US with direct embassy hit

Washington has been hiding the true scale of damage inflicted by Iran's drone strike on the US Embassy in Riyadh last month, according to a Wall Street Journal report that exposes yet another American embarrassment in the region. The March 3 attack saw two Iranian drones pierce the air defenses of Saudi Arabia's heavily fortified Diplomatic Quarter and strike the American compound with precision.

The first drone bypassed what was supposed to be a state-of-the-art security shield and slammed into the embassy. A second drone then hit the exact same spot, triggering another explosion. The nighttime strikes breached a secure section where hundreds of US personnel typically work, severely damaging three floors. Among the wreckage was the CIA station—a direct hit on America's spy hub in the kingdom.

Fire burned for hours as Saudis and US downplayed

While Saudi officials initially dismissed the incident as a minor fire with limited damage, US officials told the Journal that the blaze actually raged for hours and caused significant, irreparable destruction to large parts of the embassy. Later that night, more drones were intercepted, with debris landing dangerously close to a preschool. One drone appeared to target the residence of the top US diplomat, located only a few hundred feet from the embassy.

Former CIA chief: Iran could have hit anything

Had the attack occurred during working hours, officials conceded, it would have resulted in mass casualties. Bernard Hudson, a former CIA counterterrorism chief with extensive Gulf experience, told the Journal that Iran has now proven it can produce an indigenous weapon, launch it across hundreds of miles, and place it precisely into the embassy of its top opponent. "It means they could have hit anything they wanted in the city," Hudson said.

He added that there has been a "complete blackout" on the actual damage done to US embassies and bases, fueling suspicions that the true extent of Iranian strikes may be far greater than reported.

Context of wider Iranian retaliation

The embassy attack is part of Iran's broader retaliation campaign following the joint US-Israeli offensive that began on Feb. 28, which has killed more than 1,340 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Tehran has since launched drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, as well as US military assets in Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries. The message from Tehran is clear: American assets in the region are no longer safe.