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United States Orders Nonessential Diplomats And Families To Leave Saudi Arabia Amid Houthi Attacks
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U.S. State Department orders non-essential embassy staff and families to depart Saudi Arabia. Move followed sustained Houthi attacks on Saudi territory, including airports and critical infrastructure.
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“issued an ordered departure for non-emergency U.S. government employees and their family members in Saudi Arabia only,”
“family members of US diplomats in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Jordan have been instructed to depart.”
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U.S. Orders Saudi Departure
The United States ordered non-essential U.S. embassy personnel to depart Saudi Arabia, and the order covered their families as attacks by Iran-backed Houthi militants intensified. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said, "The safety and security of department personnel and their families remain our highest priority," and he said the order covered the embassy in Riyadh and its satellite consulates.
The State Department also issued an ordered departure for "non-emergency U.S. government employees and their family members in Saudi Arabia only," according to Pigott’s Wednesday X post. The evacuation decision came as the U.S. military reduced its footprint in the Middle East, with a U.S. official and a senior U.S. military official telling CBS News that the drawdown reflected ongoing regional threats from the Houthis and direct threats from Iran.
Attacks Drive the Risk
Saudi aviation authorities reported that an attack on King Fahd International Airport in the city of Dammam left at least one person dead and eight injured, and the U.S. order was justified by the risk of new assaults against airports and other critical infrastructure.
Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation said two people were killed in overnight attacks on King Fahd international airport in Dammam, and it said eight people were injured and there was material damage to the airport.
The Saudi energy ministry said falling debris from the interception of a drone targeting an oil facility in the country’s south-east killed two people and injured a further two, and the Houthis said they had launched attacks on Saudi Aramco facilities in Yanbu and King Fahd international airport.
The U.S. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott tied the evacuation to the Houthis, saying, "The Houthis, backed by Iran, have become increasingly involved in hostilities against Saudi Arabia."
Scope, Disputes, and Next Steps
The State Department clarified that the mandatory exit order applied only to Saudi Arabia, and it said it did not specify how many people would have to leave or how long the measure would remain in effect.
The Guardian said media reports including NBC and AFP claimed families of U.S. embassy personnel were also being withdrawn from the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Qatar and Bahrain, while the New York Times said the Trump administration was developing plans to restart the war on Iran.
Pigott described those reports as "inaccurate" and said the State Department order was for the departure of staff and their families from Saudi Arabia only.
The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh issued security alerts and advised its citizens to stay alert to local authorities’ instructions, and it imposed restrictions on the use of Saudi airports by U.S. government employees.
