{
  "id": 15998837,
  "title": "U.S. pulls diplomats from Saudi Arabia as it reportedly readies Iran strikes after midterms",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/22/u-s-pulls-diplomats-from-saudi-arabia-as-it-reportedly-readies-iran-15998837",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-22T04:35:54.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "CNBC World",
    "slug": "cnbc-world",
    "url": "https://www.cnbc.com/2026/10/22/us-iran-trump-hormuz-.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "The United States has ordered non-emergency government employees and their family members to leave Saudi Arabia following a surge in Houthi attacks. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott announced the order on X, specifying that the withdrawal applies only to those in Saudi Arabia. The National UAE reports that Pigott denied claims that the order extends to diplomatic families in the wider region, such as in Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain, or the UAE.\n\nThe move comes after several strikes attributed to the Iran-backed Houthis. Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority reported an attack late Wednesday on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, which resulted in one death and eight injuries. Additionally, the Energy Ministry stated that two people died earlier on Wednesday when air defenses intercepted a drone targeting the Saudi Aramco Shaybah oilfield.\n\nFollowing the news of the airport attack, oil prices rose, with Brent climbing above $110 a barrel and West Texas Intermediate trading at approximately $98. Pigott noted that the Houthis have increasingly engaged in hostilities against Saudi Arabia, including strikes on civilian airports that have caused severe travel disruptions and deaths.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "CNBC",
        "title": "U.S. pulls diplomats from Saudi Arabia as it reportedly readies Iran strikes after midterms",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/22/u-s-pulls-diplomats-from-saudi-arabia-as-it-reportedly-readies-iran",
        "published": "2026-10-22T04:35:54.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Egypt Independent",
        "title": "US orders departure of some embassy staff and families from Saudi Arabia amid Houthi threat",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/22/us-orders-departure-of-some-embassy-staff-and-families-from-saudi",
        "published": "2026-10-22T07:05:12.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}