US orders embassy staff to leave Saudi Arabia following Houthi attacks

The United States Department of State ordered nonemergency government employees and their family members to leave Saudi Arabia on Wednesday. Reporting from CBS News, The Hill, Fox News, WTOP News, Reuters, Al Jazeera, and the Financial Times confirmed the departure order, which comes as Iranian-backed Houthi forces continue attacks against the country. [1][2][3][4][8][9][10]

According to The Hill, a State Department spokesperson warned that hostilities in the region have the potential to escalate rapidly beyond the immediate area. The order follows a Houthi strike on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, located in eastern Saudi Arabia. The Hill reported that Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation confirmed one person was killed and eight others were injured in the airport attack. [2][6]

In response to the growing conflict, the United Kingdom is sending military support, including fighter jets, to protect Saudi Arabia from Houthi strikes, Deutsche Welle Europe and The Guardian reported. Iran has historically provided military, financial, and logistical support to the Houthi movement in Yemen, including advanced weaponry. [5][7][13]

As FTMQ Politics reported earlier, the security situation has deteriorated rapidly following the fatal airport strike in Dammam, triggering both the American diplomatic drawdown and British military deployments to safeguard the region. [16]