United States embassy in Riyadh targeted by drones as Israeli ground forces advance into southern Lebanon

Iranian drones strike US embassy in Riyadh while Israeli troops launch ground operations in Lebanon on day four of the widening regional war.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 3, 2026, 4:37 AM EST

Source: The information in this article was sourced from The Guardian

Diplomatic missions under fire in the Gulf

Iranian retaliatory strikes have expanded to target high-profile American diplomatic facilities in the Arab Gulf. On Tuesday, a drone attack on the United States embassy in Riyadh ignited a minor fire, prompting the mission to order all personnel and American citizens to maintain a safe distance from the compound. This follows a similar strike on the US embassy in Kuwait. The escalating threats to US personnel have led to a regional directive for Americans to depart over a dozen countries immediately, utilizing whatever commercial means remain available amidst widespread airspace closures.

Israeli ground offensive begins in Lebanon

In a significant shift from an exclusively aerial campaign, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has instructed ground troops to "hold and advance" into southern Lebanon. The move is intended to establish a buffer zone and prevent further Hezbollah missile fire into northern Israel. The advance follows days of intense bombardment that has virtually emptied Lebanese territory south of the Litani River. While Hezbollah has seen its capabilities severely degraded by two years of daily strikes, the group continues to launch one-way drones and rocket salvos at Israeli military bases in the Golan Heights and Galilee.

Targeted strikes and civilian casualties in Iran

The joint US-Israeli air war against the Islamic Republic continues to focus on command-and-control centers and military infrastructure. Overnight explosions were reported across Tehran, with the US claiming the destruction of several Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) facilities. However, the human cost of the campaign has drawn international scrutiny, with casualty estimates ranging from 555 to 1,500 people. Reports indicate that 165 individuals were killed in a single strike on a girls’ elementary school in southern Iran, an incident the US Defense Department is currently investigating.