By Rami Ayyub, Humeyra Pamuk and Timour Azhari
JERUSALEM/ISTANBUL/DUBAI, Oct 21 (Reuters) – The U.S. State Department has ordered some diplomats and their family members to leave its missions in Saudi Arabia and is considering removing family members from a number of other U.S. missions in the region, U.S. officials told Reuters.
State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a post on
Washington had sent some diplomatic personnel back to the region in recent months after many were withdrawn when Tehran launched attacks on US facilities following the start of the US-Israeli war against Iran in late February.
“The Iran-backed Houthis have increasingly engaged in hostilities against Saudi Arabia, including attacking civilian airports and other critical infrastructure, leading to civilian casualties and severe travel disruptions,” Pigott said.
Four U.S. officials told Reuters that U.S. missions in other Gulf states would also order family members to leave. Pigott did not discuss changes to other missions outside Saudi Arabia.
The latest withdrawals follow an escalation of fighting in Yemen, opening a new front in the regional conflict sparked by the US-Israeli war against Iran. This broader conflict has undermined global energy trade and damaged Gulf economies.
The US Embassy in Riyadh issued a security alert on Wednesday regarding “possible new Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia, following recent deadly strikes, including against Riyadh airport.”
The embassy and a CIA station housed there were attacked by drones in early March, as Iran began launching attacks across the region.
(Reporting by Rami Ayyub, Humeyra Pamuk and Timour Azhari; additional reporting by Simon Lewis; editing by Michelle Nichols, Don Durfee, Daniel Wallis and Sanjeev Miglani)
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