DUBAI/RIYADH: Tensions in the Middle East, triggered by US-Israel joint attacks on Iran on Feb 28 and fueled by the recent fierce retaliation from Iran, underscored further by two alarming incidents involving drone strikes targeting U.S. diplomatic locations in Arab states.
According to US paper and western media reports, the Central Intelligence Agency’s (CIA) station in Saudi capital Riyadh was struck by a suspected Iranian drone, while a separate drone strike ignited a fire near the U.S. consulate in Dubai.
BREAKING:
Iranian drone strikes US consulate in Dubai. pic.twitter.com/IrvTuT33Ep
— Globe Eye News (@GlobeEyeNews) March 3, 2026
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that the drone attack impacted a parking lot adjacent to the consulate in Dubai, reassuring that “all personnel are accounted for.” He noted that the U.S. had initiated a draw-down of staff from its diplomatic facilities in anticipation of such threats, reflecting the precarious security situation in the region.
SECRETARY RUBIO: “As I came in, I also saw the media reports about Dubai’s consulate.”
“The last update I had, seconds before getting before these cameras was, that a drone unfortunately struck a parking lot adjacent to the chancellery building and then set off a fire in that… pic.twitter.com/AjpuDUITxo
— Fox News (@FoxNews) March 3, 2026
Expatriates from various countries shared a series of videos on social media, capturing the fire at the U.S. consulate in Dubai following a suspected drone strike—a scene they never imagined they would witness in their lifetime.
It is noteworthy that among all the Gulf states, the UAE and Kuwait have been most significantly impacted by Iran’s retaliatory measures, primarily due to their hosting of U.S. and other Western military forces.
