US orders diplomats to leave Saudi Arabia amid Houthi strikes

US orders diplomats to leave Saudi Arabia amid Houthi strikes

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The US State Department has ordered some diplomats and their families to leave Saudi Arabia due to the threat of Houthi attacks on the Gulf kingdom. This decision comes after a strike on a Saudi airport in the eastern city of Dammam on Wednesday, which killed at least one person and injured eight others.

Saudi Arabia's revived war with the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels has intensified in recent weeks, with the Yemeni rebels targeting several major Saudi airports. The Saudi Civil Aviation Authority reported that a strike on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam on Wednesday evening killed one person and injured eight others.

The US State Department spokesperson, Tommy Pigott, stated that the department had issued an order for the departure of non-essential staff and family members at the US embassy in Riyadh. Pigott warned that '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.'

The US has issued similar evacuation orders on more than one occasion this year amid the Iran war and Iranian strikes on Saudi Arabia in retaliation for the US-Israeli war against Tehran. The Houthis have responded to Saudi strikes by launching missiles and drones at airports, energy facilities, and military bases in Saudi Arabia.

The conflict between Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis and Saudi Arabia has been rising in the past month. The Houthis have targeted several major Saudi airports, including Riyadh's international airport, which was the deadliest in the kingdom in years. The energy ministry has also reported that falling debris from the successful interception of a drone targeting an oil facility killed two people and injured two others.

The US State Department has ordered non-essential US embassy staff and their families to leave Saudi Arabia amid deadly strikes by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis. Diplomatic sources say that US missions in other Gulf states will also be ordering family members to leave. Saudi Arabia has come under near-daily attacks from the Houthis, including a strike on Riyadh's international airport that was the kingdom's deadliest in years.