US Orders Non-Essential Staff Out of Saudi Arabia Amid Houthi Attacks, Denies Wider Gulf Drawdown
Amid rising tensions in the Middle East, the US State Department has ordered non-emergency government employees and their family members to leave Saudi Arabia — while pushing back against reports that it directed personnel to leave the entire Gulf region.
State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott dismissed the broader regional claims as 'inaccurate' after the department released a formal statement confirming the targeted drawdown within the kingdom. 'The U.S. Department of State issued an ordered departure for non-emergency U.S. government employees and their family members in Saudi Arabia,' the department said.
The clarification arrived amid an uptick in militant strikes aimed at key regional transit hubs. In the statement, the spokesperson noted 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.'
Officials warned the security environment remains highly volatile, adding the conflict 'has the potential to escalate rapidly, including beyond that immediate area.' The department emphasized that the safety and security of its staff and their households in Saudi Arabia remain its highest priority.
The United States 'will continue to take all necessary steps to protect and support them as they return to the U.S.,' the spokesperson said.
In late September, the State Department renewed its warning to Americans traveling in and through the Middle East amid escalating regional tensions. The warning came as Iran-backed Houthi rebels launched a ballistic missile toward Riyadh, which Saudi Arabia said its air defenses intercepted.
Residents reported hearing an explosion and later seeing a plume of smoke near King Khalid International Airport, according to The Associated Press. No casualties or damage from the attack were reported at the time.
In an X post in September, the State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs warned that the security environment in the Middle East 'remains complex with the potential for unforeseen escalation.' The agency added, 'Americans currently in the Middle East should exercise heightened vigilance and be aware of potential flight cancellations, airspace closures and travel disruptions.'
Officials specifically cited hostilities between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed Houthis in their warning. 'This military conflict has the potential to escalate rapidly. Americans outside the Middle East should seriously reconsider travel to and through the region,' the post said.
The agency also advised those traveling to or from the region to monitor airport and airline operations, warning that US diplomatic facilities have been targeted, including outside the Middle East. The disruption has also touched Bangladeshi travelers — flight cancellations affecting Saudi Arabia-bound passengers have drawn crowds at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka.
In June, US officials similarly urged Americans across the Middle East to remain vigilant as tensions mounted. At the time, officials warned that airspace closures, demonstrations and threats to locations associated with the United States could disrupt travel with little notice. The State Department also maintained its 'Level 3: Reconsider Travel' advisory for Oman in an August 30 update, warning of risks from armed conflict and terrorism, including the threat of drone and missile attacks from Iran.
