US Orders Diplomats and Families Out of Saudi Arabia as Houthi Attacks Escalate
The State Department ordered non-emergency embassy staff and their family members to leave the kingdom after deadly Houthi strikes on airports and oil facilities. Other Gulf missions are adjusting staffing too.
The United States has ordered non-emergency embassy staff and their family members to leave Saudi Arabia, pulling down its diplomatic footprint as the kingdom comes under intensifying attacks from the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen.
The State Department issued the ordered departure on Wednesday for its embassy in Riyadh. Spokesperson Tommy Pigott announced it on X.
“Iranian-supported Houthis have increasingly engaged in hostilities against Saudi Arabia, including attacks on civilian airports and other critical infrastructure resulting in civilian casualties and severe travel disruptions,” Pigott wrote.
Other US posts in the region are also adjusting their staffing. A source told CNN a few other diplomatic missions are drawing down in response to the Houthi threat. Four US officials told Reuters that missions in other Gulf states would order family members to leave. A diplomatic source told AFP that some embassy families were also being withdrawn from the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Qatar, and Bahrain.
Pigott said the formal order applies to non-emergency staff and their families in Saudi Arabia only.
Deadly strikes this week
The drawdown follows a string of Houthi attacks on Saudi targets. On October 3, a large fire erupted at a Saudi Aramco oil refinery south of Riyadh after a Houthi strike.
A deadly attack on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport killed 12 people and left more than 300 injured. It was targeted again hours later, leaving more wounded.
On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia said it intercepted at least seven drones, including one targeting the Shaybah oil field in the kingdom’s Eastern Province. The attack killed two expatriate workers and injured two others.
Wednesday evening brought another strike. Authorities said one person was killed and eight were injured in an attack on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam. It was not yet clear who was responsible.
The US embassy in Riyadh issued a security alert on Wednesday warning Americans of possible further attacks on airports and travel disruptions. US government employees working in Saudi Arabia now require special authorization from the Chief of Mission to use any airport in the kingdom, the alert said.
A widening regional conflict
The Houthi campaign has opened another front in the regional conflict triggered by the US-Israeli war on Iran, which began in late February. The Houthis, aligned with Tehran, have targeted airports, oil infrastructure, and maritime traffic in the Gulf.
Washington had returned some diplomatic personnel to the region in recent months after many were pulled out when Tehran launched attacks on US facilities following the war’s start.
The US has stepped up its support for Saudi Arabia militarily, boosting intelligence and targeting assistance. But Saudi Arabia has asked for more offensive help, and President Donald Trump has so far decided against striking the Houthis.
Other allies are stepping in. On Tuesday, the United Kingdom said it would deploy fighter jets to defend Saudi Arabia against Houthi attacks. Egypt pledged “all necessary and possible forms of support” in recent days. Saudi-backed forces aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognized government have expanded operations against Houthi positions across multiple frontlines, with Saudi air power providing cover.
Iranian officials said Tehran could target American political assets or infrastructure in the case of a large-scale conflict, according to reports citing Iranian state media on Wednesday.
