CIA Station in Saudi Arabia Housed Within US Embassy in Riyadh Hit By Iran Drone Attack: Report
A suspected Iranian drone strike hit the CIA station housed within the US Embassy in Riyadh on Tuesday, according to two people familiar with the matter quoted by The Washington Post. The US and Saudi Arabia confirmed that two drones struck the embassy compound but did not disclose that the CIA’s station was affected.
An internal alert from the United States Department of State, obtained by The Washington Post, said the attack “collapsed” part of the embassy’s roof and “contaminated” interior areas with smoke. The notice said the compound had sustained “structural damage” and that personnel “continue to shelter in place”. The extent of the damage was not immediately clear, and there was no indication that any CIA staff were injured.
While the reported strike represents a setback for the agency’s operations in the kingdom, former CIA officers said such disruptions can be managed.
“Drawdowns are a part of the business,” one former officer who served in the Middle East said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the agency’s work. “The local liaison relationship is so tight I think the Saudis will roll out the red carpet” to accommodate personnel, the former officer added. “There’s a lot of redundancy built into these things.”
Iran has long viewed the CIA as a hostile actor, citing Washington’s covert backing of the 1953 military coup that removed the country’s elected prime minister. (Read more from “CIA Station in Saudi Arabia Housed Within US Embassy in Riyadh Hit By Iran Drone Attack: Report” HERE)
