The US State Department has ordered non-essential staff at the US embassy to leave Saudi Arabia, following a surge in attacks on the kingdom by Iran-backed Houthi militants.
The U.S. military has also been quietly reducing its footprint in its Middle East positions due to ongoing regional threats from the Houthis and direct threats from Iran, a U.S. official and a senior U.S. military official told CBS News on Wednesday.
The State Department “has issued a departure order for non-emergency U.S. government employees and their family members in Saudi Arabia only,” spokesman Tommy Pigott wrote in an article published Wednesday, pushing back on a report that orders could apply to other Gulf states.
CBS News has learned that several other embassies have adjusted their staff under “restricted operations” status but have not conducted an orderly departure, which involves the mandatory evacuation of designated diplomatic personnel and accompanying family due to security risks.
The restricted operations status, which the ministry introduced in August amid outbreaks of war with Iran, allows embassies to reduce staffing and services without completely suspending operations.
The decision to withdraw staff in Saudi Arabia comes after US embassies in the kingdom, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and other countries. issued warnings this weekendurging Americans in the region to exercise caution and prepare for travel disruptions due to Houthi attacks.
“The Iran-backed Houthis have increasingly engaged in hostilities against Saudi Arabia, including attacks on civilian airports and other critical infrastructure, leading to civilian casualties and severe travel disruptions,” Pigott said Wednesday.
The Houthis have launched drones and missiles at airports and oil facilities in Saudi Arabia in recent weeks, including a strike at Riyadh King Khalid International Airport earlier this month, which killed 12 people and injured more than 300 others. An American was among those killed.
Attacks continued, with the Saudi-led military coalition reporting it intercepted several Houthi drones on Monday and Tuesday.
Saudi Arabia’s Energy Ministry said on Tuesday that air defenses blocked a drone attack on the country’s Shaybah oil field. Two people were killed and two others injured by falling debris, according to the agency, which did not specify who launched the drone.
Meanwhile, the Houthis have sought to expand their territorial control in Yemen. The group has controlled much of the country for more than a decade, including the capital Sanaa.
Some Saudi officials have blamed Iran for the behavior of the Houthis, aligned with the Islamic Republic. Iran has denied any role in this escalation.
The conflict could cause problems beyond Saudi Arabia because of the Houthis’ proximity to the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a key maritime chokepoint through which much of the world’s oil passes. The strait has become more important in recent months due to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz caused by the war between the United States and Iran.
Ambassador Marwan Ali Noman, political adviser to Yemen’s foreign minister, warned in an interview with CBS News on Tuesday that the Houthis could continue their attacks if left unconfronted.
“We are fighting on behalf of all, because the threat and risk from the Houthis will increase,” Noman said, adding that the Yemeni government was seeking international help.
The United Kingdom has offered support to Saudi Arabia, particularly in defensive air operations.
It is unclear whether the Trump administration also plans to help Saudi Arabia. President Trump did not rule out strikes against the Houthis after the group’s deadly Oct. 10 attack on the Riyadh airport, telling reporters, “We can do it.”
Mr. Trump said earlier this month: “We are communicating with the Houthis, and we will see what happens. But what they did was very bad. »
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