The US State Department has ordered non-essential embassy personnel and their family members to leave Saudi Arabia due to an increased threat from Iran-aligned Houthi militants. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott stated that the safety and security of department personnel and their families remain the highest priority.
The ordered departure follows near-daily attacks on civilian airports and critical infrastructure. In the kingdom's Eastern Province, recent strikes killed three people and injured eight others. A drone attack on an Aramco oil field resulted in two deaths, while an attack on a civilian airport killed one person and left eight others injured.
These events come as fighting in Yemen escalates, opening another front in the Middle East conflict. The US State Department reports that Houthis have increasingly engaged in hostilities against Saudi Arabia. Similar withdrawals of personnel have also emerged in Qatar, Jordan, Bahrain, and the UAE amid concerns regarding a return to conflict with Iran after US midterm elections.