US Orders Departure of American Diplomats and Their Families from

The US State Department has ordered non-essential government personnel and their family members stationed at the US mission in Saudi Arabia to leave the country. Washington is also planning to evacuate the family members of staff from US missions in several other countries across the Persian Gulf region, according to US officials who spoke to the news agency Reuters.

This decision follows an attack at King Fahad International Airport in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, which left one person dead and eight others injured. On the same day, it was reported that two more people were killed in a drone strike on a facility at the Shaybah oil field.

US State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott stated in a post on the social media platform X that the order for non-essential US government personnel and their families to depart was issued in light of the risk of attacks by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels from Yemen on civilian infrastructure in Saudi Arabia.

Pigott noted that the Iranian-backed Houthis are continuously escalating the conflict against Saudi Arabia. Attacks on civilian airports and other critical infrastructure have resulted in loss of life and severe disruptions to transportation systems.

Four US officials told Reuters that similar evacuation orders for the family members of staff could be issued for US missions in other countries across the Persian Gulf region. However, Pigott did not provide specific details regarding any operational changes at US missions outside of Saudi Arabia.

Following the outbreak of hostilities between Iran and Israel in late February—during which Tehran launched attacks against the US and Israel—many diplomats were evacuated from various locations across the Middle East due to security risks. In recent months, however, Washington had begun returning some diplomatic personnel to the region.

This decision to evacuate staff and their families comes amid an intensification of the conflict in Yemen. Yemen has emerged as a significant new theater of conflict within the broader regional instability linked to the ongoing tensions involving the US, Israel, and their adversaries. This has disrupted global energy trade and is also causing economic damage to the countries of the Persian Gulf.

Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation reported that an attack on King Fahad International Airport in Dammam left one person dead and eight others injured. Earlier that day, an attempt was made to attack a facility at the Shaybah oil field, operated by the Saudi state-owned energy company, Saudi Aramco. According to the Saudi Ministry of Energy, the country’s air defense forces destroyed a drone at the site; two people were killed in this incident.

Meanwhile, following recent deadly attacks in various locations across Saudi Arabia—including an airport in Riyadh—the U.S. Embassy has expressed concerns regarding the possibility of further attacks in the country. A security alert issued on Wednesday warned of potential attacks by the Houthi movement in Yemen.

Earlier this March, following the commencement of attacks by Iran across various locations in the Middle East, the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh—as well as a facility belonging to the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) located there—were also targeted by drone attacks.