Two Iranian drones struck the US embassy in the Saudi capital of Riyadh on Monday, with one of the drones reportedly hitting a CIA station within the embassy complex, according to The Washington Post.
Both the US and Saudi governments confirmed the attack, though neither has confirmed the CIA station being hit.
According to the Post, an internal State Department alert said the building sustained “structural damage,” and that embassy personnel should “continue to shelter in place.”
There was no mention of any CIA personnel being wounded, with the CIA having declined to comment on the situation.
Later, Saudi Arabia announced the interception of two ballistic missiles in the Al-Kharj area on Wednesday. Earlier in the day, the country announced it would take all necessary measures to defend its security and protect its territory, citizens, and residents, the state news agency reported early on Wednesday, citing a cabinet statement.
Iran's previous attacks on Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia's state oil giant Aramco shut its Ras Tanura refinery following a drone strike, an industry source said on Monday, after Tehran launched strikes across the region in response to the US-Israeli attack on Iran.
The Ras Tanura complex, located on Saudi Arabia's Gulf coast, is home to one of the largest refineries in the Middle East, with a daily capacity of 550,000 barrels. It also serves as a vital export hub for Saudi crude oil.
The facility was temporarily shut down as a precaution, and the situation is now under control, according to a source. Two drones were intercepted at the site, with debris causing a small fire. The spokesperson for the Saudi defense ministry told Al Arabiya TV that there were no injuries.
Saudi Arabia's heavily protected energy infrastructure has been targeted before, most notably in September 2019, when drone and missile attacks on the Abqaiq and Khurais plants disrupted more than half of the kingdom's crude production and caused global market instability.