The Iranian drone attack on the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia was more extensive than initially disclosed, and parts of the compound cannot be recovered, according to a new report.
The Wall Street Journal noted that the March 3 attack involved two drones: one exploded against the walls of a secure area and the second one entered through the hole and did so inside a minute later.
The area in which the devices exploded at night would have been occupied by hundreds of workers during the day, the outlet added. Three floors were heavily damaged, including the Central Intelligence Agency station. Parts of the areas hit are not recoverable.
The assessment stands in contrast with that of the Saudi Defense Ministry when the attack took place. Back then, it said the attack resulted in a limited fire and minor damage. However, officials said the fire burned for about half a day.
The war continues in the meantime, with the latest negotiations for a ceasefire reaching a dead end after Tehran officials called U.S. demands unacceptable and conveyed that they won't meet with Washington counterparts in Islamabad in the coming days, according to the WSJ.
Around the same time, Iranian defense official Ali Akbar Ahmadian said in a social media post that Tehran will "neither retreat under threats nor be swayed by clamor and empty shows."
"This region is our playing field, and responses are based on rational and realistic calculations, not Hollywood-style theatrics," the official added. He went on to say that the country's goal will be "expelling the U.S. forces "from the region."
Moreover, about half of Iran's missile launchers remain operative after more than a month of war with the U.S. and Israel, according to another report.
Citing the latest intelligence assessments, CNN detailed that the country also has access to thousands of one-way attack drones. Estimates are that about half of its arsenal has not yet been deployed or destroyed.
"They are still very much poised to wreak absolute havoc throughout the entire region," a source told the outlet.
However, the report noted that the assessment could include launchers that are not accessible to Iran because they are buried under rubble but not destroyed.
Elsewhere, CNN noted that most of Iran's coastal defense cruise missiles have not been impacted, an assessment that is consistent with the U.S.'s focus on assets in central Iran, rather than its coast. This despite Tehran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which has led to a surge in global oil prices.
