The United States has ordered non-essential embassy staff and their families to leave Saudi Arabia after a rise in Houthi attacks on the kingdom, while the US military is also reducing its presence at posts across the Middle East.
The State Department said the mandatory departure applied to non-emergency US government employees in Saudi Arabia only. Spokesman Tommy Pigott said reports that the measure extended to other Gulf states were incorrect.
A US official and a senior US military official said the military had been quietly reducing its footprint in the region because of continuing threats from the Houthis and direct threats from Iran.
Several other US embassies have adjusted staffing under “restricted operations” status, according to the material. That arrangement allows diplomatic missions to reduce personnel and services without fully suspending their work, while an ordered departure requires designated staff and accompanying family members to leave because of security risks.
The decision follows warnings issued by US embassies in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and other countries. Americans in the region were urged to exercise caution and prepare for possible disruption to travel.
“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,” Mr Pigott said.
Houthi attacks raise regional security concerns
The Houthis have used drones and missiles against airports and oil facilities in Saudi Arabia in recent weeks. A strike on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport earlier this month killed 12 people and injured more than 300, with one American among those killed.
A Saudi-led military coalition said it had intercepted multiple Houthi drones on Monday and Tuesday. Saudi Arabia’s energy ministry also said air defences had stopped a drone attack on the Shaybah oil field, although falling debris killed two people and injured two others.
The Iran-aligned group has controlled a large area of Yemen, including the capital, Sana’a, for more than a decade, and has sought to expand its territorial control. Saudi officials have blamed Iran for the Houthis’ actions, while Tehran has denied involvement in the escalation.
The conflict has also raised concerns about shipping through the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a key maritime chokepoint through which a large share of the world’s oil passes. Yemen’s political adviser to the foreign minister, Marwan Ali Noman, said the Houthis could continue their attacks unless confronted and that the Yemeni government was seeking international assistance.
The United Kingdom has offered support to Saudi Arabia, including defensive air operations. It remains unclear whether the Trump administration intends to provide further assistance, although President Donald Trump has not ruled out strikes against the Houthis, saying after the Riyadh airport attack: “We may.”
Earlier this month, Mr Trump said: “We have communication with the Houthis, and we’ll see what happens. But what they did was very bad.”
