TEHRAN - Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps said Saturday that Tehran had no role in the attack on the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh. The military body instead accused Israel of carrying out the strike.
The IRGC issued a statement responding to a Wall Street Journal report published Friday. The report said the March 3 drone attack caused more damage than previously disclosed.
The IRGC said the attack “has absolutely nothing to do with the Iranian armed forces”. It added that “given the Zionist enemy’s strategy in the region, this act was certainly carried out by Zionists”.
The group warned regional countries to stay alert. It described the incident as part of what it called efforts by the U.S. and Israel to destabilize West Asia.
What happened on March 3
Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry said at the time that two drones struck the U.S. Embassy compound. The attack caused a limited fire and minor material damage to the building. Officials said no one was hurt because the embassy was empty in the early morning hours.
Witnesses reported hearing a loud blast and seeing smoke rise over Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter, where foreign missions are located. Saudi air defenses intercepted four drones targeting the area, a source close to the Saudi army told AFP.
The U.S. Embassy issued shelter-in-place notices for Riyadh, Jeddah and Dhahran. It also restricted non-essential travel to military sites in the region.
Damage reports differ
The Wall Street Journal report, citing U.S. officials, said the attack caused more destruction than first reported. One drone bypassed air defenses in the Diplomatic Quarter and struck the American compound. A second drone hit the same spot.
The strikes breached a secure part of the embassy where hundreds of employees normally work. Three floors were severely damaged, and the CIA station was among the affected areas.
The fire burned for hours and caused what officials described as significant, irreparable damage to parts of the embassy, the Journal reported. A third drone appeared to target the residence of the top U.S. diplomat, located a few hundred feet from the embassy.
Had the attack occurred during working hours, officials said, it could have resulted in mass casualties.
Wider conflict
The embassy strike took place amid broader hostilities. On Feb. 28, the U.S. and Israel launched a joint offensive on Iran. Iranian officials say the strikes killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and more than 1,600 Iranians, including 244 children.
Iran has responded with drone and missile attacks on Israel and U.S. military assets across Gulf states, including Bahrain, Jordan, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Syria.
The IRGC’s denial comes as part of its 54th statement regarding what it calls Operation “True Promise 4”. The group said its targets have been clearly defined in advance, and the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh was not among them.
The IRGC has also warned that any attack on Iranian diplomatic missions will be met with a swift response.