State Department orders diplomats to leave Saudi Arabia over Houthi attacks

The United States has ordered non-essential embassy staff and their families to leave Saudi Arabia. The order, made on Wednesday, covers the main U.S. Embassy in Riyadh and its smaller consulates in the country.

The reason is a rise in attacks by the Houthis, a militant group from Yemen that is supported by Iran. The Houthis have attacked Saudi airports and other important infrastructure many times this month. On Wednesday, at least one person died in a Houthi strike on an airport in Dammam.

The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh was badly damaged earlier in the Iran war and has had very few staff for months. Family members have also been told to leave U.S. missions in the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Qatar, and Bahrain.