US orders embassy staff, families to leave Saudi Arabia

The US State Department has instructed certain diplomats and their families to depart from their missions in Saudi Arabia, with plans to evacuate relatives from additional US posts in the area, according to Reuters. This decision follows a series of attacks that killed at least one person and injured eight others at a civilian airport in Dammam, and two individuals were killed in a drone assault on an oil facility.

State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott announced the departure of non-emergency US government personnel and their families in Saudi Arabia, attributing it to the ongoing attacks by Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen. Washington had previously reinstated some diplomatic staff in the region following earlier assaults on US facilities by Iran following the US-Israeli conflict on Iran that began late February.

Iranian-backed Houthis have been increasingly involved in hostilities against Saudi Arabia, including assaults on civilian airports and crucial infrastructure, resulting in civilian deaths and significant travel disruptions, Pigott stated.

Multiple US officials disclosed to Reuters that US missions in other Gulf countries would similarly request the departure of family members. Pigott did not elaborate on changes to missions outside of Saudi Arabia.

The escalation of hostilities in Yemen has added a new dimension to the regional conflict stemming from the US-Israeli war on Iran. This intensified conflict has disrupted global energy trade and negatively impacted Gulf economies.

Subsequently, Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authority reported an attack on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, resulting in one death and eight injuries. Earlier, two people perished after Saudi air defenses neutralized a drone targeting a facility at Saudi Aramco's Shaybah oilfield, as reported by the energy ministry. The US embassy in Riyadh issued a security notice on Wednesday, warning of potential further attacks by the Houthis on Saudi Arabia, following recent deadly strikes, including those on Riyadh's airport.

The embassy and a CIA station located there were also targeted by drones in early March as Iran commenced launching attacks across the region.