The Americans have ordered the evacuation of diplomats from Saudi Arabia

The United States State Department ordered non-emergency government employees and their family members to leave its diplomatic posts in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday. The directive was issued in response to escalating attacks by the Iran-backed Houthi movement against civilian targets within the Kingdom. While the formal order applies exclusively to Saudi Arabia, four American officials indicated that Washington intends to withdraw family members from several other U.S. missions across the Gulf region. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott announced the decision via a post on the social media platform X. He specified that the ministry mandated the departure of U.S. government workers whose presence is not essential, along with their dependents, solely from Saudi Arabia. Pigott stated that the move follows increased hostile actions by the Houthis, who have targeted civilian airports and other critical infrastructure. These strikes have resulted in civilian casualties and severe disruptions to transportation networks. The decision comes amidst a broader regional conflict that began in late February when the United States and Israel initiated a war against Iran. Following the outbreak of hostilities, Tehran launched retaliatory strikes on American facilities, prompting Washington to pull back a large portion of its diplomatic staff from the area. Over the past few months, the U.S. had begun returning some personnel to the region. However, the renewed violence in Yemen has opened another front in the conflict, leading to fresh evacuations. Disagreements emerged regarding the scope of the withdrawal. Three U.S. officials initially told reporters that Washington was preparing to order departures from diplomatic missions throughout the Gulf due to fears of resumed regional hostilities. Two of these officials suggested the measure could involve the evacuation of all personnel and families from the U.S. mission in Saudi Arabia. Pigott later rejected this wider interpretation. He described earlier media reports suggesting a comprehensive Gulf-wide evacuation as inaccurate, clarifying that the official ordered departure applied only to Saudi Arabia. Despite his public clarification, four separate U.S. officials confirmed to Reuters that family members at U.S. posts in other Gulf states would also be instructed to leave. Pigott did not address changes at missions outside Saudi Arabia in his initial statement. The immediate trigger for the order was a series of deadly strikes on Saudi soil. Since the start of October, the Kingdom has faced near-daily rocket and drone attacks from the Houthis. On October 10, an assault on Riyadh’s international airport killed 13 people and injured more than 300 others. Earlier in the week, the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh issued a security alert warning of potential further Houthi attacks following these recent deadly incidents. Hours after the embassy released that warning on Wednesday, the Houthi militia attacked King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, located in eastern Saudi Arabia. According to the Kingdom’s aviation authority, at least one person died and eight others were injured, some severely, during the strike. Saudi military forces intercepted a ballistic missile fired toward Riyadh shortly before the airport attack. Additionally, two individuals were killed by falling debris from a drone. Separately, explosions were reported in southern Iran on Wednesday evening. The Iranian state news agency IRNA stated that several blasts occurred near the Strait of Hormuz. The agency identified the location as the Kerpan area in the city of Sirik, within Hormozgan province. As of the latest reports, IRNA noted there were no confirmed casualties or damage assessments available. The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh and a Central Intelligence Agency station located nearby were previously targeted by drones in early March. This occurred as Iran began launching attacks across the region. The current escalation in Yemen has further complicated the situation, contributing to snarled global energy trade and economic strain in the Gulf. Pigott emphasized that the safety and security of Department personnel and their families remain the State Department’s highest priority. He stated that the agency will continue taking all necessary steps to protect and support its staff. The diplomatic retreat marks a reversal of the partial normalization of operations that had been underway since late August. At that time, Washington had started redeploying diplomatic personnel to the region after the initial wave of withdrawals in March. The return of threats from the Houthi militia, which the U.S. describes as increasingly engaging in hostilities against Saudi Arabia, has forced a rapid reassessment of risk levels for American citizens and staff in the Middle East.