Iranian drones hit the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, causing a fire and damage to the building on Monday.
“The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh was subjected to an attack by two drones according to initial estimates, resulting in a limited fire and minor material damage to the building,” said the Saudi Ministry of Defense.
In a post on X, the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh said that a “shelter in place” order has been issued for Jeddah, Riyadh, and Dhahran, along with limited “non-essential travel to any military installations in the region.”
“We recommend American citizens in the Kingdom to shelter in place immediately. The U.S. Mission to Saudi Arabia continues to monitor the regional situation,” it continued.
An official later told Fox that no officials were present at the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh around the time of the strike. According to Kellie Meyer of News Nation, President Donald Trump said, “You’ll find soon what the retaliation will be for the attack on the U.S. embassy in Riyadh and for the U.S. service members killed.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Americans in over a dozen countries in the Middle East to leave as soon as possible due to serious safety concerns amid the escalating conflict in Iran. The order came after Iran escalated missile attacks in the Middle East when the United States and Israel killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in an attack over the weekend.
----------
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) entered Lebanese territory on Tuesday, in an operation aimed at seizing high ground that could be used by Hezbollah to fire on Israeli communities.
The new operation followed the entry of Hezbollah into the war on Monday, when it fired rockets and drones at northern Israel as a reaction to the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, who was the group’s biggest backer and spiritual leader.
Defense Minister Israel Katz stated Tuesday morning that he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “authorized the IDF to advance and take control of additional strategic high ground in Lebanon in order to prevent fire toward Israeli border communities.”
The Israeli operation follows the dramatic statement by the Lebanese government, which outlawed Hezbollah’s military activities in the country.
Israeli army officials had stated repeatedly in recent days that the decision to evacuate northern Israel after Hezbollah attacked on Oct. 8, 2023, was a mistake that would not be repeated.
The IDF operation is aimed at preventing another situation where terrorists can fire down into Israeli towns from the higher hills on the Lebanese side of the border, as had happened for nearly two years in 2023-24.
“To prevent the possibility of direct-line fire at Israeli communities, the Prime Minister and I have approved the IDF’s advance to seize additional commanding terrain in Lebanon and defend the border communities from there. We promised security for the Galilee communities — and that is what we will deliver,” Katz affirmed.
No comments:
Post a Comment