US orders non-essential embassy staff and families out of Saudi Arabia as Houthi attacks escalate
Why It MattersSustained strikes on Saudi civilian airports and an embassy drawdown tighten the security and insurance environment for business aviation across the Gulf, raising risk for Saudi-bound charter and corporate flights.
The United States has ordered non-essential US embassy staff and their families to leave Saudi Arabia, the State Department said on Wednesday, as the kingdom faces sustained, deadly attacks from Yemen's Houthis. State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said the Iran-supported Houthis have increasingly engaged in hostilities against Saudi Arabia, including attacks on civilian airports and other critical infrastructure that caused civilian casualties and severe travel disruptions. He said the safety and security of department personnel and their families remain the highest priority.
Saudi Arabia has come under near-daily attacks from the Iran-backed Houthis this month, including a strike on Riyadh's international airport that was the kingdom's deadliest in years. On Wednesday, the Saudi energy ministry said falling debris from the interception of a drone targeting an oil facility killed two people, a Filipino and a Nepali, and injured two others. The drone was aimed at the Shaybah oil field near the UAE border; the ministry did not say who launched it. The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen reported intercepting six drones earlier in the day.
Separately, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi said Egypt's military support for Saudi Arabia would be limited to defending the kingdom's territory and borders and would not include an attack on Yemen, the presidency said. Egypt's foreign minister delivered a written message from Sissi to King Salman, and the two sides discussed bilateral ties and regional developments, the Saudi Press Agency said. Egypt's foreign ministry said the letter affirmed Egypt's full solidarity with and support for Saudi Arabia.
