US orders non-emergency staff and families to leave Saudi Arabia amid Houthi attacks
The State Department confirmed a departure order in Saudi Arabia. Reuters reported plans for family departures from other Gulf missions, but those missions were not identified.
The US State Department ordered non-emergency government employees and their family members to leave Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, October 21, amid Houthi attacks on the kingdom. The order affects US personnel at its missions there as attacks on civilian infrastructure have caused casualties and disrupted travel.
State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the order covered ‘non-emergency U.S. government employees and their family members in Saudi Arabia only.’ Four US officials told Reuters that missions in other Gulf states would also order family members to leave. Pigott did not address changes outside Saudi Arabia, and the officials did not identify the other missions.
Houthi attacks and the Saudi Arabia departure order
Pigott cited increasing hostilities by the Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen, including attacks on Saudi civilian airports and other critical infrastructure. He said those attacks had resulted in civilian casualties and severe travel disruptions. The US embassy in Riyadh issued a security alert on Wednesday about possible further Houthi attacks, following recent deadly attacks that included a strike on Riyadh’s airport.
Saudi Arabia’s Energy Ministry told the Associated Press that debris from an intercepted drone killed two people and injured two others at the Aramco-operated Shaybah oil field in the country’s southeast. The ministry identified those killed as Nepali and Filipino nationals and those injured as Pakistani and Indian nationals. It said falling debris also set fire to a contractor’s vehicle.
Washington had returned some diplomatic personnel to the region in recent months, Reuters reported. Many had earlier been withdrawn after Iran launched retaliatory attacks on US facilities following the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran in late February. The departure order marks another change to the US presence in the region as attacks continue.
Britain’s response to attacks on Saudi Arabia
Deutsche Welle reported that, following a Saudi request, the UK announced a defensive air mission to help protect Saudi cities and critical infrastructure from drones and missiles. The aircraft would not strike Houthi targets in Yemen, according to DW. The British mission and the US departure order follow the same series of attacks, but address different immediate needs: defending sites and reducing the exposure of US personnel and families.
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Sources and context
- U.S. orders some diplomats out of Saudi Arabia amid Houthi attacksGlobal News, reporting attributed to Reuters; page also credits AP material
- UK fighter jets to protect Saudi Arabia from Houthi attacksDeutsche Welle
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.