The State Department on Wednesday ordered nonemergency U.S. government employees and their family members to leave Saudi Arabia. The move follows weeks of Houthi missile and drone attacks on Saudi airports, cities and energy sites.
State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott announced the order in a post on X Wednesday afternoon. Fox News also reported the order.
What the order covers
An ordered departure is mandatory. It requires designated staff and their families to leave the country, while emergency staff stay on the job.
- Who must leave: Nonemergency U.S. government employees and their family members in Saudi Arabia.
- Saudi Arabia only: Pigott called a report of a wider pullout from U.S. embassies across the Gulf “inaccurate.” He said the order applies “in Saudi Arabia only.”
- The reason: “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,” Pigott said.
Attacks on Saudi airports
Houthi forces in Yemen have targeted airports in Riyadh, Jizan, Najran, Dammam and Abha since Oct. 5, Fox News reported, citing the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project. The deadliest strike hit King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. It killed more than a dozen people, including an American citizen, and closed the airport for days.
Britain said Tuesday it will send Typhoon fighter jets to help defend Saudi cities. Saudi Arabia has also asked the United States for more missile interceptors. “Every country in the world would like interceptors,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday, according to Fox News.
Possible U.S. strikes
President Donald Trump has not ruled out joining Saudi strikes on the Houthis. “We may. We’re gonna look at it,” Trump told reporters earlier this month. The United States bombed Houthi targets in Yemen for about two months in 2025 before Trump halted the campaign after a deal brokered by Oman.
What travelers should know
- Advisory level: The State Department’s travel advisory for Saudi Arabia tells Americans to reconsider travel. It bars all travel to the Yemen border region.
- Photos: The advisory warns Americans not to photograph or share images of missile or drone interceptions or impact sites. Saudi authorities have detained U.S. citizens for doing so.
- Stay informed: Americans in Saudi Arabia can enroll in the State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to receive embassy alerts.
Sources: U.S. Department of State; Fox News.
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