The State Department has ordered the departure of nonessential staff and family members from the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia due to escalating missile and drone attacks on Riyadh by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels of Yemen.
The Houthis have attacked civilian airports and other critical infrastructure, resulting in casualties and heavy travel restrictions.
“The safety and security of [State] Department personnel and their families remain our highest priority, and we will continue to take all necessary steps to protect and support them,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said Wednesday.
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The State Department also issued a country-wide security alert for Americans in Saudi Arabia. U.S. government employees require special authorization to use any airport in the country following recent missile and drone attacks on airports in the kingdom, officials said.
“The hostilities have the potential to escalate rapidly,” State Department officials said. “U.S. citizens are reminded to follow the guidance of national alerts released by Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defense.”
Riyadh is coordinating with U.S. officials to counter the escalating Houthi missile and drone strikes.
The U.S. has deployed military advisers to assist Saudi forces with real-time target tracking and early-warning capabilities to detect incoming Houthi missiles and drones.
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