US orders non-emergency embassy staff to leave Saudi Arabia
The State Department directed non-emergency American personnel and their relatives to leave Saudi Arabia on Wednesday. The directive follows ongoing strikes inside the country by Iranian-backed Houthis.
Hostilities could expand quickly. “As the Department has repeatedly emphasized, the hostilities have the potential to escalate rapidly, including beyond that immediate area,” a State Department spokesperson told The Hill.
The spokesperson noted that worker safety remains the agency’s primary concern. The government plans to support returning workers. Officials will take all necessary measures to protect them during transit.
The Houthis fight the Saudi-backed Yemeni government. The group has targeted infrastructure within Saudi Arabia. Strikes have hit civilian airports and critical locations, causing civilian casualties.
Saudi air defenses intercepted a drone on Wednesday. The aircraft targeted the Shaybah oilfield run by Aramco. Falling debris killed two people and injured two others, according to the nation’s energy ministry.
Reuters reported that similar exit directives were planned across the Gulf region. State Department spokesperson Tommy Piggot called that report “inaccurate.”
Agence France-Presse reported that families in the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Qatar and Bahrain received departure mandates. That report cited a diplomatic source. President Trump addressed the claims on Wednesday. “I don’t know that they are. You are telling me something – I wouldn’t know that,” Trump said.
The American mission in Saudi Arabia released a safety bulletin on Wednesday. It warned about more Houthi strikes. It urged citizens to monitor local cellular alerts.
“U.S. citizens are reminded to follow the guidance of national alerts released by Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defense via cellular broadcast,” the embassy said. “U.S. government employees working in Saudi Arabia require special authorization from Chief of Mission to use any airport in Saudi Arabia following recent missile and UAV attacks on airports in the Kingdom.”
An ordered departure mandates that certain government employees vacate a post. The State Department uses these directives during security crises. The agency monitors risks to decide when personnel may return.
American workers in Saudi Arabia cannot use airports freely. They need special permission from the Chief of Mission. The rule follows recent drone and missile strikes on regional airfields.
