Netanyahu said Iran’s new nuclear sites would soon become immune to attack. Trump signaled US retaliation “soon” after a drone strike caused limited fire and damage at the US Embassy in Riyadh.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Escalation deepened on March Tuesday, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Iran’s nuclear infrastructure was approaching a point of immunity from attack, while US President Donald Trump signaled imminent retaliation following a drone strike on the US Embassy in Riyadh.
Speaking to Fox News on Monday, Netanyahu said Iran had been constructing new nuclear facilities that would soon become untouchable.
“They started building new sites, new places, underground bunkers, that would make their ballistic missile programs and their atomic bomb programs immune within months,” Netanyahu said.
“If no action was taken now, no action could be taken in the future.”
His remarks come amid intensifying regional confrontation and follow reports of a strike on the US diplomatic compound in Saudi Arabia.
President Donald Trump suggested the United States would retaliate “soon” after the US Embassy in Riyadh was struck by two suspected Iranian drones.
Speaking to the NewsNation network on Monday, Trump said: “You’ll find out soon,” when asked how Washington would respond. He did not provide further details.
The US Embassy confirmed a drone attack that caused “a limited fire and minor material damage.”
Following the strike, the embassy issued a shelter-in-place notification for US citizens in Jeddah, Riyadh, and Dhahran.
According to Reuters, flames and thick black smoke pierced the early morning sky over Riyadh after a powerful explosion was heard at the US Embassy compound in the Saudi capital.
Reuters cited three informed sources as saying a strong explosion was heard and flames were seen rising from the embassy in the early hours of Tuesday. One source described the fire as limited.
Reuters said it was not immediately able to verify the circumstances of the incident. A spokesperson for the US Embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment, nor did the Saudi government’s media office.
Two sources said black smoke was seen rising above Riyadh’s diplomatic quarter, which houses foreign diplomatic missions.
The explosion came shortly after several strong blasts shook the diplomatic district, sending dense smoke into the sky. AFP, citing four eyewitnesses in Riyadh, reported that two powerful explosions were heard, followed by heavy smoke rising over the area. One resident, who declined to be named, said: “We heard two explosions one after the other, then saw a large amount of smoke in the sky above the district.”
The diplomatic quarter is considered one of the most heavily guarded areas of the capital and is tightly secured by security forces.
Two Saudi military sources told Reuters that the kingdom’s air defense systems intercepted several drones in the diplomatic district, with one drone falling near the US Embassy in Riyadh. Israel’s Channel 12 reported that the attack on the diplomatic quarter was carried out using drones.
The developments place renewed focus on both Iran’s strategic capabilities and Washington’s next move, as regional tensions continue to intensify.
