The US State Department has ordered non-emergency US government employees and their families to leave Saudi Arabia, as concerns grow over attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels. The directive comes amid sharply escalated regional tensions and follows a series of recent strikes on the kingdom.
According to three US officials who spoke to Reuters, the State Department has reportedly been preparing to order diplomats to depart embassies across several other Gulf states as well. However, a spokesman confirmed that the current instruction applies to "Saudi Arabia only."
"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," the spokesman added.
Houthi attacks intensify
The Houthis, who operate from neighbouring Yemen, have stepped up their assaults on Saudi Arabia in recent weeks. Last week, the group launched a volley of missiles at the presidential palace in Yemen, killing four people and wounding ten. Days earlier, a series of strikes on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport claimed seventeen lives and left more than 300 others injured.
The US embassy in Riyadh issued a security alert on Wednesday warning of possible further attacks. The Houthis are targeting Saudi Arabia because of its backing of Yemen's government forces in the country's ongoing civil war.
Regional escalation
Fighting in Yemen reignited in July after a 2022 ceasefire collapsed following the outbreak of the US-Iran war. Iran and its allies intensified attacks throughout the Middle East after joint US and Israeli strikes on several crucial sites in February. Iran retaliated by targeting US allies across the region and shutting down the Strait of Hormuz waterway.
Clashes between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis escalated dramatically after the rebel group captured sections of the Red Sea coastline last month, an alternative passage to the Strait of Hormuz.
Wider alerts across Gulf
Washington had redeployed some personnel to the region after withdrawing them when Tehran launched counter-attacks. However, a wave of security alerts swept the region on Sunday, cautioning US citizens that hostilities with the Houthis could expand beyond the conflict's present boundaries.
Embassies in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and several other nations issued coordinated warnings, according to ABC News. The US now increasingly regards Houthi attacks as part of a wider threat to citizens across the Middle East.
