US Orders Non-Essential Staff to Leave Saudi Arabia Amid Escalating Attacks

The U.S. Department of State has ordered non-emergency government employees and their families to depart Saudi Arabia due to escalating attacks by Iranian-supported Houthis. The department cited "hostilities against Saudi Arabia, including attacks on civilian airports and other critical infrastructure resulting in civilian casualties and severe travel disruptions." The statement also warned that these "hostilities have the potential to escalate rapidly."

This directive comes as Saudi Arabia has experienced a series of attacks targeting its infrastructure. In the most recent incident at King Fahd International Airport, eight individuals sustained injuries ranging from minor to serious. While specific details of this attack have not been released, it follows a pattern of repeated Houthi targeting of Saudi airports. An earlier drone attack aimed at the Shaybah oil field near the United Arab Emirates border also resulted in two injuries, though the energy ministry has not identified the perpetrator.

The region has been embroiled in a civil war since 2014 when the Houthis seized control of the capital, Sanaa, leading to a Saudi-led military intervention in 2015. An informal ceasefire that had been in place for four years unraveled in July. Following the ceasefire's collapse, the Houthis announced a "maritime embargo" against Saudi Arabia and initiated missile and drone strikes on Saudi airports, oil facilities, and Red Sea tankers.

The Houthi group stated these actions were a response to what they describe as a Saudi blockade of their territory and an air strike on Sanaa airport, which they attribute to the kingdom. Their "maritime embargo" in the Bab al-Mandab Strait has contributed to a rise in global oil prices, as Saudi Arabia has increasingly relied on Red Sea routes for exports, particularly after the Strait of Hormuz became effectively closed due to conflict involving Iran.