The State Department has ordered non-essential American diplomats and family members of U.S. government employees to leave Saudi Arabia as deadly attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels raise fears that the regional conflict could rapidly escalate.
The order affects non-emergency personnel at the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh and satellite consulates, reducing America’s diplomatic presence in one of Washington’s most important Middle Eastern allies.
State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said the decision followed increasingly aggressive Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, including strikes against civilian airports and critical infrastructure that have caused casualties and major travel disruptions.
The department warned that the hostilities have the potential to “escalate rapidly beyond that immediate area,” underscoring growing concern in Washington about the deteriorating security situation.
The diplomatic withdrawal follows a deadly attack Wednesday on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, where Saudi authorities reported fatalities and injuries after the airport was struck amid the latest wave of attacks.
Another incident Wednesday targeted Saudi Aramco’s Shaybah oil field, where debris from an intercepted drone killed two workers and injured two others, according to Saudi officials.
Saudi authorities said the victims killed at the oil facility were Nepali and Filipino nationals, while Pakistani and Indian workers were injured.
The Houthis have repeatedly targeted Saudi airports and oil infrastructure since fighting intensified this summer, including attacks on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport and facilities belonging to state-owned energy giant Saudi Aramco.
King Khalid International Airport has faced severe disruptions since an October 10 attack, although limited Saudi airline operations began resuming this week with government permission.
Major international carriers, including Lufthansa and Air France, have canceled Riyadh flights through mid-November amid the security concerns.
The worsening situation has also prompted Saudi Aramco to tell employees at its headquarters in Dhahran to evacuate the building and work remotely, according to people familiar with the decision.
Aramco’s sprawling Dhahran complex plays a critical role in overseeing the kingdom’s oil operations, including refineries, pipelines, export terminals and offshore and onshore production facilities.
The Houthis caused extensive damage to the headquarters in an earlier strike this month, with fires spreading across several floors, Reuters reported.
The latest violence is also rattling global energy markets, with Brent crude climbing above $112 per barrel Thursday and reaching its highest level since May as traders worried about additional disruptions to Middle Eastern oil supplies.
West Texas Intermediate crude briefly climbed above $100 per barrel as attacks on Saudi infrastructure and shipping concerns around the Strait of Hormuz intensified fears about the security of global energy exports.
Saudi Arabia has responded to the Houthi attacks with strikes against missile-launch sites in Yemen and says its defenses have intercepted numerous missiles and drones aimed at the kingdom.
The Houthis, meanwhile, have vowed to continue targeting Saudi airports and oil facilities, arguing that their operations are retaliation for Saudi military action in Yemen.
The conflict has also drawn greater involvement from Saudi allies, with Britain announcing that Royal Air Force Typhoon fighters will conduct defensive missions intended to help protect Saudi cities and critical infrastructure from drones and missiles.
Egypt has separately signaled that it is prepared to assist Saudi Arabia if requested, with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi seeking parliamentary authorization that could allow Egyptian forces to help defend the kingdom.
Despite its longstanding security relationship with Riyadh, Washington has so far stopped short of directly joining Saudi Arabia’s military campaign against the Houthis.
The State Department’s withdrawal order nevertheless marks a significant precautionary step and comes only months after some American diplomatic personnel returned to the region following earlier reductions during the broader Iran conflict.
U.S. officials also told Reuters that family members at American missions elsewhere in the Gulf are expected to leave, although the formal ordered departure announced by the State Department currently applies specifically to Saudi Arabia.
