The US Embassy in Saudi Arabia Hit by Drone, Trump Says Retaliation Will Be Announced "Soon," No Need to Send Ground Troops

**U.S. Retaliatory Actions "Soon" Over Riyadh Embassy Drone Attack, Iran-Related Casualties** March 3 — Former President Donald Trump said U.S. retaliatory measures over the drone attack on the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh and U.S. military casualties in Iran-related conflicts will be announced “soon.” He added the U.S. does not need to deploy ground troops to Iran. Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defense said in a social media post a preliminary assessment found two drones struck the U.S. Embassy compound in Riyadh, sparking a small fire and minor material damage. Multiple sources reported the incident happened early Tuesday with no embassy staff present; no casualties have been reported. Black smoke was visible over Riyadh’s diplomatic quarter. The embassy later issued a shelter-in-place notice for U.S. citizens in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dharan. Sen. Marco Rubio said at a press conference the U.S. faces an “imminent threat,” noting the U.S. is aware of Israel’s plans to take action against Iran and expects Iran may retaliate via attacks on U.S. military targets. House Speaker Mike Johnson, following a classified briefing, said the U.S. is conducting a “limited-scope, target-specific, and absolutely necessary defensive operation” and expects it to wrap up soon. Separately, U.S.-Israeli airstrikes against Iran are escalating: Israel has targeted Hezbollah positions in Lebanon, while Iran has launched missile and drone attacks on Gulf states hosting U.S. forces.