US Orders Non-Essential Embassy Staff and Families to Leave Saudi Arabia

Washington has ordered non-essential staff from the US embassy and their families to leave Saudi Arabia, according to the State Department. This decision comes as the kingdom faces ongoing attacks from the Iran-backed Houthi group in Yemen.

A diplomatic source informed AFP that all American staff and their families must depart from the embassy in Saudi Arabia. The order also applies to families of embassy staff in the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Qatar, and Bahrain, which have also been targeted amid the ongoing conflict.

Tommy Pigott, a spokesperson for the State Department, confirmed the evacuation order on social media. He emphasized that the order is for “non-emergency US government employees and their family members in Saudi Arabia only.” Pigott linked this decision to the recent Houthi attacks, stating that ensuring the safety and security of personnel and their families is the highest priority.

Saudi Arabia has experienced near-daily assaults from the Houthis this month, including a strike on Riyadh’s international airport, which resulted in significant casualties. On Wednesday, the Saudi energy ministry reported that falling debris from a thwarted drone attack on an oil facility led to the deaths of two people and injuries to two others.

Earlier in the day, the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen announced that it had intercepted six drones aimed at various targets. This escalation follows the collapse of a four-year truce in Yemen’s civil war in June, reigniting a conflict that has persisted since 2014.

In related developments, Iranian state media reported explosions in the southern Hormozgan province, which overlooks the strategic Strait of Hormuz. The nature of these explosions has not been disclosed.