US orders non-essential personnel to leave Saudi Arabia amid Houthi strikes

The United States has instructed non-essential diplomatic staff and their families to evacuate Saudi Arabia following an increase in cross-border strikes launched by Houthi forces from Yemen.

Tommy Pigott, a spokesperson for the US State Department, confirmed the departure directive in a statement on social media, clarifying that the instruction applies exclusively to non-emergency personnel and their relatives stationed in Saudi Arabia. He dismissed media reports suggesting that a broader evacuation order had been issued across neighboring Gulf countries, describing those claims as inaccurate.

The official clarification followed reports from news agencies citing anonymous diplomatic sources and officials who suggested family members of diplomats in Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates had also been directed to leave. While the State Department has not validated those broader claims, the American mission in the UAE had previously cautioned that regional hostilities could swiftly expand past the immediate conflict zone.

The ordered departures come amid a series of attacks directed at Saudi infrastructure. Civil aviation officials in the kingdom confirmed that an assault late Wednesday targeted King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, leaving one person dead and eight others wounded. Data from flight tracking monitors indicated that operations at the airport were temporarily suspended following the incident.

Hours earlier on Wednesday, another incident occurred near Saudi Aramco's Shaybah oilfield, where air defense systems brought down an incoming drone. Saudi Arabia's Energy Ministry reported that falling debris from the interception resulted in two fatalities.

The escalation has exerted immediate upward pressure on international energy markets. Brent crude prices surpassed $110 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate rose to approximately $98 per barrel amid fears of sustained disruptions to regional energy flows.

According to the State Department, the Iran-aligned Houthi movement has intensified attacks inside Saudi territory, increasingly hitting commercial aviation hubs, resulting in casualties and widespread travel interruptions. In response to the growing danger, the American embassy in Riyadh released a security notice warning citizens and staff of potential follow-up strikes.

The security drawdown follows previous diplomatic shifts in the Middle East. Washington had previously evacuated personnel earlier this year after Iranian strikes targeted American facilities, including diplomatic buildings and an intelligence base in Riyadh, before gradually restoring some staff in subsequent months. The renewed wave of strikes linked to the Yemen conflict threatens to further destabilize regional commerce and pressure Gulf economies.