Washington orders US diplomats to leave Saudi Arabia
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Caasimada Online
The US State Department has ordered non-essential diplomats and their families to leave Saudi Arabia after attacks killed at least three people and injured eight. The measure affects US employees in the country, where Yemen’s Houthi rebels have targeted civilian sites, according to spokesman Tommy Pigott, cited by Reuters.
The US State Department has ordered some of its diplomats and their family members to leave US diplomatic facilities in Saudi Arabia after attacks killed at least three people and injured eight, according to US officials cited by Reuters. State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott confirmed the departure of non-essential personnel and their relatives.
The attacks notably targeted Dammam’s civilian airport, where one person was killed and eight injured, as well as an oil production site, where two people died in a drone attack. Washington attributes the attacks to Yemen’s Houthis, a movement backed by Iran. Tommy Pigott said their strikes on civilian targets and infrastructure had caused deaths and seriously disrupted travel.
Four US officials told Reuters that diplomats’ families could also be withdrawn from other US missions in Gulf countries. The measure follows the departure of staff from the US embassy in Riyadh and the evacuation of non-essential personnel from Saudi Arabia, announced on 21 October 2026.
Summary produced with the help of artificial intelligence tools, under AFREEQUE’s editorial responsibility.
