Amid rising tensions between Iran and the US–Israel alliance, drones struck the US Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on March 3, 2026. The attack reportedly caused minor damage, and no casualties had been reported initally. Meanwhile, a video showing massive flames engulfing the side of a road is going viral on social media. Users claim it captures the aftermath of the alleged Iranian drone strike on the US Embassy in Riyadh that morning.
Several journalists amplified the claim. Nabila Jamal, executive editor of the TV9 Network, and Aditya Raj Kaul, senior executive editor at NDTV, shared the video, describing it as visuals from the US embassy in Riyadh following the alleged Iranian drone strike. Kaul later deleted his post.
🚨Two Iranian drones strike the US Embassy in Riyadh
Saudi authorities claim its caused minor damage..Smoke seen rising over the Diplomatic Quarter
President Donald Trump vows retaliation, signals possible “boots on the ground” after earlier ruling it out
US missions in Kuwait… pic.twitter.com/HQ9cQXsysm
— Nabila Jamal (@nabilajamal_) March 3, 2026
Major Indian media organizations like The Times of India, Economic Times, ABP News, The Statesman and Russian state media Sputnik also shared the viral video with the same claim.
Mario Navfal, user ‘@MOSSADil‘, Right-wing influencer Raushan Sinha also shared the viral video with the same claim.
Fact Check
We ran a reverse image search on Google and traced the viral clip to an Instagram reel posted on February 8, 2026, by a Saudi Arabia-based user, Imamuddin Ansari.
This establishes that the video predates the March 3 drone strike on the US Embassy in Riyadh and is unrelated to the incident.
View this post on Instagram
Alt News cannot independently verify the original source of the video. However, evidence shows that it has been circulating online since at least February 8, 2026.
Despite this, several journalists, media outlets and social media users shared the old clip as visuals from the alleged drone attack on the US Embassy in Riyadh on the morning of March 3, 2026.
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