The U.S. State Department has ordered some diplomats and their families in Saudi Arabia to evacuate. This decision was made as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia faces pressure from repeated attacks by the Houthis, with at least three people recently losing their lives in one of these attacks at an airport and an oil field.
Reasons for the Diplomats' Departure
Ongoing attacks on civilian airports and critical infrastructure in Saudi Arabia by Iran-backed Houthis have been cited as the main reason for this decision. Tommy Pigott, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, emphasized, "The safety and security of our personnel and their families is our top priority."
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This evacuation order includes the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh and its consulates in other parts of the country. The U.S. Embassy, which had been severely damaged at the beginning of the war with Iran, had been operating with only a skeleton staff in recent months, although some diplomats had returned to the embassy in recent weeks.
Reports of Similar Evacuations
This announcement coincides with reports of the evacuation of embassy staff families from the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Qatar, and Bahrain. However, Pigott described these reports as "false" in his statement and emphasized that the State Department's order only pertains to the departure of personnel and their families from Saudi Arabia.
In recent weeks, Saudi Arabia has faced a series of deadly attacks from the Houthis, including an attack on Riyadh International Airport, which has been one of the deadliest attacks in recent years. On Wednesday, the Saudi Civil Aviation Authority announced that a Saudi citizen was killed in the attacks on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, and eight others were injured.
According to official reports, this airport has also sustained material damage. Global flight tracking service, Flightradar24, reported that flights heading to this airport have been rerouted.
Additionally, debris from the destruction of a drone targeting an oil facility in southeastern Saudi Arabia has killed two people and injured two others. The Saudi Ministry of Energy stated that none of these attacks have been immediately claimed by the Houthis, but airports and oil facilities have been primary targets of this recent wave of attacks.
The United States had previously instructed its non-essential personnel to leave the region before the war against Iran began in late February. Furthermore, reports indicate that the U.S. military is gradually reducing its presence at various bases in the Middle East, although a spokesperson for U.S. Central Command stated that military members are regularly moved to optimize mission readiness.
The departure of personnel from this region comes amid reports that Trump has become acquainted with plans to resume attacks on Iran. The New York Times has reported that the United States and Israel have developed plans for a "short but intense operation."
Last week, Trump stated that the United States is looking to target Mount Peacock in Iran, a site related to the country's nuclear program, but the President has publicly expressed that he does not intend to resume war before the November 3 elections.
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