The United States has ordered non-emergency government employees and their family members to leave Saudi Arabia amid escalating attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, according to the US State Department.
State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the decision followed increasing Houthi attacks on Saudi territory, including strikes on civilian airports and critical infrastructure that caused casualties and disrupted travel.
“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 said.
The order comes as Saudi Arabia faces a series of deadly attacks. A drone strike targeting the Shaybah oilfield killed two people, while an attack at King Fahd International Airport in Dammam killed one person and injured eight, according to reports.
The US embassy in Riyadh also issued a security alert warning of possible further attacks. American personnel have faced heightened security risks since the wider regional conflict escalated earlier this year.
The New Indian Express, citing a diplomatic source, reported that all American embassy staff and their families had been ordered to leave Saudi Arabia. The source also said families of embassy staff in the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Qatar and Bahrain had been ordered to depart.
However, the State Department said its formal ordered-departure directive applied to non-emergency personnel and their families in Saudi Arabia only.
The move comes amid broader regional instability linked to the conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran, with attacks and security concerns affecting travel and critical infrastructure across the Gulf.