The Wall Street Journal reports:

An Iranian drone attack last month on the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia did more extensive damage than previously disclosed, current and former American officials said, showing Iran’s ability to hit Washington’s assets in the kingdom.

The attack happened March 3, when an Iranian drone evaded the air defenses guarding Riyadh’s gated Diplomatic Quarter and slammed into the American compound. A minute later, a second drone flew into the hole made by the first one and also exploded, the officials said.

The nighttime strikes penetrated a secure part of the embassy where several hundred people would have been working in the day and heavily damaged three floors, current and former officials said. The Central Intelligence Agency station was among the areas hit, people familiar with the matter have said.

While the Saudi Defense Ministry then said the attack had resulted in a limited fire and minor damage, current and former officials said it was worse, sparking a blaze that raged for half a day. Parts of the embassy were damaged and not recoverable, one person briefed on the matter said.

More drones were intercepted that night a few hours later, and debris fell near a preschool. One was thought to be targeting the residence of the highest-ranking U.S. diplomat in Saudi Arabia, located a few hundred feet from the embassy.

The embassy attack struck at 1:30 a.m. If it had occurred during working hours, it could have been a mass-casualty event, the officials said. Instead, the attack sent a message that Iran could hit Americans in places they thought were protected. [Continue reading…]