U.S. State Department orders diplomats and families to leave Saudi Arabia amid Houthi attacks
The State Department instructed non-essential personnel and their families to depart its Saudi missions as Houthi strikes on civilian targets in Saudi Arabia increase.
The U.S. State Department has directed non-emergency government employees and their families stationed in Saudi Arabia to leave the country, officials told Reuters. The order applies only to missions in Saudi Arabia, while other Gulf posts are expected to issue similar instructions for family members, the department said.
State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott posted on X that the move comes amid a series of attacks by Iran-aligned Houthi forces on civilian airports and other critical infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, which have caused civilian casualties and disrupted travel.
The U.S. embassy in Riyadh issued a security alert on Wednesday warning of possible further Houthi attacks after recent strikes, including one on the capital’s airport. The embassy and a CIA station in Riyadh were previously hit by drones in early March as regional tensions rose following the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran.
The withdrawals follow an escalation of fighting in Yemen that has added a new front to the broader regional conflict, affecting global energy trade and Gulf economies.