Daijiworld Media Network - Washington
Washington, Oct 22: The US State Department has ordered non-emergency American government employees and their family members to leave Saudi Arabia amid escalating attacks in the region, while US missions in other Gulf countries are also preparing to withdraw family members, officials told Reuters.
The move came after attacks in Saudi Arabia killed at least three people and injured eight others. An attack on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam killed one person and injured eight, while two people were killed when Saudi air defences intercepted a drone targeting a facility at the Shaybah oilfield, according to Saudi authorities.
State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the departure order applied to non-emergency US government employees and their family members in Saudi Arabia, citing attacks by Iran-aligned Houthi forces in Yemen against civilian targets.
“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.
Four US officials told Reuters that American missions in other Gulf states would also order family members to leave. However, Pigott did not comment on possible changes at missions outside Saudi Arabia.
Washington had returned some diplomatic personnel to the region in recent months after withdrawing many of them following Iranian attacks on US facilities that began after the US-Israeli war against Iran started in late February.
The latest withdrawals follow an escalation in fighting in Yemen, opening another front in the wider regional conflict. The conflict has disrupted global energy trade and affected Gulf economies.
The US Embassy in Riyadh issued a security alert on Wednesday warning of possible further Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia following recent deadly strikes, including an attack on Riyadh’s airport.
The embassy and a CIA station operating from the premises were targeted by drones in early March as Iran launched attacks across the region.