U.S. orders some diplomats out of Saudi Arabia amid Houthi attacks

The U.S. State Department has instructed some diplomats and their families to leave missions in Saudi Arabia due to attacks by the Iran-aligned Houthis, according to Reuters. A spokesperson for the department confirmed this move on X, stating that non-emergency U.S. government employees and their families in Saudi Arabia would be affected.

This decision comes after the Iran-aligned Houthis have been targeting civilian targets in Saudi Arabia, resulting in civilian casualties and disrupting travel. In recent months, Washington had returned some diplomatic personnel to the region following retaliatory attacks by the Houthis on U.S. facilities in response to the US-Israeli war on Iran.

The U.S. missions in other Gulf states would also order family members to leave, though the department did not specify the extent of these changes. The Houthis have frequently targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, which had been closed since October 10 due to a severe attack. However, limited flights resumed on Wednesday.

Major carriers like Lufthansa and Air France have canceled flights to Riyadh until mid-November. The Houthis have claimed responsibility for the attacks on the airport, a claim Saudi Arabia denies, pointing to evidence that the facility provided military equipment to government forces. The Energy Ministry in Saudi Arabia reported that debris from an intercepted drone killed two Nepali and Filipino nationals and injured two Nepali, Indian nationals, and a Pakistani at an Aramco-operated oil field.

This incident also caused a fire in a contractor's vehicle. The U.S. embassy in Riyadh issued a security alert about potential further attacks by the Houthis in Saudi Arabia, following recent deadly attacks.