The U.S. State Department has ordered non-essential government employees and their family members to leave Saudi Arabia as Iran-backed Houthi militants step up attacks on the kingdom.2,3,4
The order applies to non-emergency U.S. government employees and their family members in Saudi Arabia, and it came as Houthi attacks on Saudi targets have intensified in recent weeks. CNBC's headline also said the U.S. is reportedly preparing strikes on Iran after the midterm elections. The text of the CNBC report beyond its headline was not available for this story.1,3,4
The State Department spokesperson, Tommy Pigott, wrote in a Wednesday post on X that the department had “issued an ordered departure for non-emergency U.S. government employees and their family members in Saudi Arabia only,” pushing back on a report that the orders could apply to other Gulf states. CBS News has learned that several other embassies adjusted their staffing under “restricted operations” status but have not gone on ordered departure, which involves the mandatory evacuation of designated diplomatic staff and accompanying family due to security risks.3
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. The restricted operations status, which the department introduced in August amid flare-ups in the war with Iran, allows embassies to reduce staffing and services without fully suspending operations.3
The decision follows warnings issued over the weekend by U.S. embassies in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and other countries, which urged Americans in the region to exercise caution and prepare for travel disruptions due to Houthi attacks. Pigott said Wednesday that “Iranian-supported 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.”3
On Wednesday, at least one person was killed in a strike on a Saudi airport in the eastern city of Dammam. The Saudi Civil Aviation Authority said a strike on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam that evening killed one person and injured eight others, and that the extent of the material damage was being assessed. The authority did not say who was behind the attack, and the Houthis did not claim responsibility. Flightradar24 said flights from the airport were being diverted as operations came to a halt.4
The Houthis have launched drones and missiles at airports and oil facilities in Saudi Arabia in recent weeks. A strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh earlier this month killed 12 people and injured more than 300 others, CBS News reported, and one American was among those killed. A Saudi-led military coalition reported that it intercepted multiple Houthi drones on Monday and Tuesday.3,4
The accounts of the Saudi Energy Ministry's statements about falling debris differ in their details. CBS News reported that the ministry said on Tuesday that air defenses had blocked a drone attack on the Shaybah oil field, and that two people were killed and two were injured by falling debris, and the ministry did not specify who launched the drone. DW reported that the ministry said on Wednesday that forces had intercepted a drone targeting an oil facility, but that falling debris killed two people and injured two others, and identified those killed as a Filipino and a Nepali national. The reports do not establish whether they describe the same incident.3,4
Some Saudi officials have blamed Iran for the conduct of the Houthis, which are aligned with the Islamic Republic. Iran has denied any role in the escalation. The Houthis are close to the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a key maritime chokepoint through which a large share of the world's oil flows, and the strait has become more important in recent months because of disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz caused by the U.S.-Iran war, CBS News reported. The United Kingdom has offered support to Saudi Arabia, including defensive air operations.3
Ambassador Marwan Ali Noman, political adviser to the Foreign Minister of Yemen, warned in an interview with CBS News on Tuesday that the Houthis could continue their attacks unless 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.3
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 group's deadly Oct. 10 attack on the Riyadh airport, telling reporters, “We may.” Earlier this month, Trump said, “We have communication with the Houthis, and we'll see what happens. But what they did was very bad.”3
The Washington Times's headline framed the story around the order for non-essential personnel and families to leave Saudi Arabia and the “growing Houthi strikes.”2
