US Orders Non-Emergency Staff and Families to Leave Saudi Arabia
The evacuation follows deadly strikes on Saudi airports and oil facilities by Iranian-backed Houthi forces as regional security threats escalate.
The United States Department of State ordered non-emergency government personnel and their family members to leave Saudi Arabia. The mandatory evacuation directive applies directly to the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh and its satellite consulates across the kingdom.
State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said Iranian-supported Houthis have increased attacks against Saudi Arabia. Pigott noted that strikes on civilian airports and critical infrastructure have caused casualties and major travel disruptions. An official confirmed to CNN that the escalating Houthi threat prompted the emergency drawdown.
Shortly after the evacuation announcement, an attack hit King Fahd International Airport in Dammam. Saudi civil aviation authorities reported that the strike killed one person and wounded eight others. U.S. government employees must now receive authorization from the Chief of Mission before using any airport in the kingdom.
Energy infrastructure has also faced attacks. Saudi air defenses intercepted a drone targeting an Aramco facility at the Shaybah oilfield in the Eastern Province on Wednesday. That incident killed two expatriate workers and injured two others.
The department issued a formal security alert advising American citizens in Saudi Arabia of possible airport attacks. In recent weeks, Houthi forces struck King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, killing 12 people and wounding more than 300. Brent crude rose 0.6 percent to $109.38 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate fell 0.4 percent to $97.44.
Pigott said the ordered departure applies only to Saudi Arabia. He described reports of personnel departures extending to other Gulf countries as inaccurate. He stated that the safety of department personnel and their families is the top priority.
Four U.S. officials told Reuters that diplomatic posts across other Gulf states were preparing to order family departures. CBS News reported that several other regional embassies shifted staffing to restricted operations. That status allows diplomatic posts to reduce staff without an ordered departure or full shutdown.
The Riyadh embassy had previously sustained heavy damage during regional hostilities and operated on skeleton staffing for several months. Washington only recently restored personnel to the country. Over recent months, Saudi-backed ground forces expanded operations against Houthi positions, supported by Saudi air operations.
The U.S. military has begun quietly reducing its footprint at Middle Eastern posts to lower risks from Iranian and Houthi strikes. Regional embassies remain on elevated security footing. Personnel are assessing whether restricted operations will require broader mandatory drawdowns if drone and missile attacks escalate.
