US Pulls Non-Emergency Personnel From Saudi Arabia Amid Escalating Houthi Attacks

The Trump administration has ordered non-emergency U.S. government employees and their families to leave Saudi Arabia due to intensifying Houthi attacks, a State Department spokesperson confirmed Wednesday. This move comes as President Donald Trump considers direct military action against the Iran-backed group.

"The U.S. Department of State issued an ordered departure for non-emergency U.S. government employees and their family members in Saudi Arabia only," spokesperson Tommy Pigott stated, pushing back on reports of a broader regional evacuation.

The escalating Houthi missile and drone attacks have targeted civilian airports and critical infrastructure, resulting in casualties and travel disruptions. "Iranian-supported Houthis have increasingly engaged in hostilities against Saudi Arabia, including attacks on civilian airports and other critical infrastructure resulting in civilian casualties and severe travel disruptions," Pigott added.

Recent Houthi strikes and attempted strikes on Saudi Arabia have surged, with airports in Riyadh, Jizan, Najran, Dammam, and Abha being targeted since October 5. A barrage at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on October 8 killed at least 13 people and wounded over 300.

In response to the growing threat, Saudi Arabia has sought additional military support from allies. The United Kingdom announced it would deploy Typhoon fighter jets to defend critical infrastructure, while Egypt is providing assistance and Israel has offered support. Riyadh has also requested additional missile interceptors from Washington, though U.S. officials have cautioned that global demand is straining supplies.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted the high demand for interceptors, stating, "I also talked to Saudi Arabia today; they'd like interceptors. Israel would like interceptors. We would like interceptors. Every country in the world would like interceptors." He described them as "probably the most in-demand product right now in the defense field," acknowledging the challenge of balancing allied requests with U.S. military needs.

The attacks highlight the difficulty of defending Saudi Arabia's extensive territory against relatively inexpensive missiles and drones, even with advanced air defense systems. Farea Al-Muslimi, a research fellow at Chatham House, observed, "Saudi Arabia is a huge geography to protect, and this speaks to a larger threat we're facing globally: a relatively small nonstate actor can pose a serious challenge to even a sophisticated and extremely expensive military."

President Trump has not ruled out direct military intervention against the Houthis. "We may. We're gonna look at it," Trump told reporters earlier this month. "We'll make a decision. We move very quickly."

The U.S. previously conducted a two-month bombing campaign against Houthi targets in Yemen in 2025, which concluded following an Oman-brokered agreement. Currently, the U.S. continues to provide intelligence and targeting support to Saudi Arabia as the situation develops.