The U.S. State Department on Wednesday ordered nonemergency government employees and their family members to leave Saudi Arabia as attacks on the kingdom by Iran-backed Houthi militants have intensified.1,3,4
In a statement posted on X, State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the Houthis "have increasingly engaged in hostilities against Saudi Arabia, including attacks on civilian airports and other critical infrastructure resulting in civilian casualties and severe travel disruptions." He added: "The safety and security of Department personnel and their families remain our highest priority, and we will continue to take all necessary steps to protect and support them."1,4
The order applies to Saudi Arabia only, Pigott said, and he described an earlier media report that orders could also apply to other Gulf states as "inaccurate." CBS News reported that several other embassies had adjusted their staffing under a "restricted operations" status but had not gone on ordered departure, which requires the mandatory evacuation of designated diplomatic staff and accompanying family. Four U.S. officials told Reuters that missions in other Gulf states would also be ordering family members to leave, a account that differs from Pigott's.1,4
The restricted operations status, introduced by the department in August amid the war with Iran, allows embassies to reduce staffing and services without fully suspending operations. A U.S. official and a senior U.S. military official told CBS News on Wednesday that the military has also been quietly reducing its footprint at posts in the Middle East because of ongoing regional threats from the Houthis and direct threats from Iran.1
The decision follows warnings issued over the weekend by U.S. embassies in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and other countries, urging Americans in the region to exercise caution and prepare for travel disruptions. The U.S. embassy in Riyadh issued a further security alert on Wednesday warning of possible additional Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.1,4
The Houthis have launched drones and missiles at airports and oil facilities in Saudi Arabia in recent weeks. A strike on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport on Oct. 10 killed 12 people and injured more than 300, CBS News reported, and one American was among those killed.1
The attacks have continued since then. A Saudi-led military coalition said it intercepted multiple Houthi drones on Monday and Tuesday. On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia's energy ministry said air defenses had blocked a drone attack on the Shaybah oil field, but that falling debris killed two people and injured two others. The ministry did not specify who launched the drone.1
Some Saudi officials have blamed Iran for the Houthis' conduct, and the militants are aligned with the Islamic Republic. Iran has denied any role in the escalation.1
The Houthis have controlled a large part of Yemen for more than a decade, including the capital, Sanaa, and have sought to expand that territorial control. CBS News reported that the conflict could cause problems beyond Saudi Arabia because of the group's proximity to the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a maritime chokepoint through which a large share of the world's oil flows. The strait has become more important in recent months because of disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz caused by the U.S.-Iran war.1
The latest withdrawals come after the U.S. had returned some diplomatic personnel to the region in recent months. Many had been pulled out after Tehran launched attacks on U.S. facilities following the start of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran in late February, Al Jazeera reported, and the Riyadh embassy and a CIA station hosted there came under drone attack in early March.4
Ambassador Marwan Ali Noman, political adviser to the Foreign Minister of Yemen, told CBS News on Tuesday that the Houthis could continue their attacks unless they were confronted. "We are fighting on behalf of everyone, because the threat and risk of the Houthis will expand," Noman said, adding that the Yemeni government is seeking international assistance. The United Kingdom has offered support to Saudi Arabia, including defensive air operations.1
It is not clear whether the Trump administration plans to assist Saudi Arabia. President Trump did not rule out strikes on the Houthis after the Oct. 10 attack on the Riyadh airport, telling reporters, "We may." Earlier this month he said, "We have communication with the Houthis, and we'll see what happens. But what they did was very bad."1
In its own statement, the State Department said the hostilities "have the potential to escalate rapidly, including beyond that immediate area," according to a spokesperson quoted by The Hill.3
