Les États-Unis ordonnent à certains diplomates de quitter l'Arabie saoudite alors que les craintes d'une escalade des attaques des Houthis augmentent

The United States State Department ordered the departure of non-essential government employees and their family members from Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, citing a sharp increase in missile and drone attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels. The directive specifically targets staff at the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh and its satellite consulates. While the formal evacuation order applies strictly to Saudi Arabia, officials indicated that family members of U.S. personnel stationed in other Gulf states, including the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Qatar, and Bahrain, are also being withdrawn. This move follows a period of heightened tension in the region and marks a significant shift in diplomatic posture as hostilities intensify. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott confirmed the decision in a post on social media, stating that the safety and security of department personnel and their families remain the top priority. He explained that the order covers non-emergency U.S. government employees and their dependents within Saudi Arabia only. A diplomatic source familiar with the situation told reporters that all American staff and their families at the Riyadh embassy had received instructions to depart. The source added that similar withdrawal procedures were underway for families based in neighboring Gulf nations, which have also faced threats from Iran during the broader regional conflict. The decision comes amidst a surge in violent incidents targeting Saudi infrastructure. On Wednesday, the Saudi Energy Ministry announced that debris from an intercepted drone killed two people and injured two others at an oil field operated by Aramco in the country’s southeast. The ministry identified the victims as a Filipino citizen and a Nepali citizen, while noting that Pakistani and Indian nationals were among those injured. The statement did not specify who launched the drone, which targeted the Shaybah oil field near the border with the United Arab Emirates. In a separate incident later that day, the General Authority of Civil Aviation reported that an attack on Dammam International Airport in the eastern region killed one person and wounded eight others. The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis reported intercepting multiple aerial threats throughout the day. Coalition spokesperson Turki al-Malki initially stated that four drones launched toward the kingdom were intercepted and destroyed. He later updated the count, confirming a fifth and sixth interception. Al-Malki specified that these drones were shot down over the Eastern Region and the holy city of Madinah. One of the intercepted drones was described as having been launched by the Houthi militia toward the southern part of the kingdom, close to the Yemeni border. These strikes represent the latest in a series of attacks since fighting resumed in mid-July after a four-year truce in Yemen’s civil war collapsed in June. The U.S. embassy in Riyadh has been operating with reduced capacity for months. The facility suffered significant damage at the start of the war involving Iran, forcing the mission to run on a skeleton staff. However, some diplomatic personnel had recently returned to the post. The current travel alert issued by the State Department warns that Iranian-supported Houthis have engaged in hostilities against Saudi Arabia, including strikes on civilian airports and critical infrastructure. The alert notes that these actions have resulted in civilian casualties and severe travel disruptions, with the potential for rapid escalation beyond the immediate area. Previous alerts issued in recent days contained nearly identical language and required special permission for U.S. government personnel to use any Saudi airport. Aviation operations in Saudi Arabia have been severely impacted by the ongoing threats. Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport, a frequent target of Houthi attacks, remained closed until earlier Wednesday. Following a severe attack on October 10, the airport was shut down. Two days later, Saudi aviation authorities permitted a limited number of domestic carriers, including Saudia and FlyNas, to resume operations with prior approval. Aircraft from these airlines took off and landed at the airport on Wednesday. Despite the partial reopening, major international carriers such as Lufthansa and Air France have cancelled flights to Riyadh through mid-November. The Houthis have acknowledged responsibility for attacks on the airport, claiming without providing evidence that Saudi Arabia used the facility to transport military equipment to government forces. The broader context involves a resurgence of violence in the Middle East. The U.S. previously ordered non-essential staff to leave the Gulf region ahead of the start of its conflict with Iran and again in July before President Donald Trump halted a planned new wave of strikes. Many diplomatic personnel were pulled out when Tehran launched retaliatory attacks on U.S. facilities following the start of the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran in late February. Some staff have since returned, but the current environment has prompted renewed caution. Tensions extended beyond Saudi Arabia on Wednesday evening. Iranian state media reported hearing the sound of several explosions in the Karpan area of Sirik, located in the southern Hormozgan province overlooking the Strait of Hormuz. The official IRNA news agency stated that local sources had not yet clarified the nature of the blasts, marking a break in a period of relative quiet in that specific area. Meanwhile, U.S. embassies in other Gulf countries are implementing temporary staffing changes. These missions are already under restricted operations protocols that limit the number of personnel present, reflecting the continued volatility in the region.