US orders diplomat evacuations from Saudi Arabia after Houthi attacks

The United States has ordered non-emergency diplomats and their families to evacuate Saudi Arabia following a surge in deadly attacks by Iran-aligned Houthi rebels, with American military forces also being withdrawn from bases across the Middle East. Recent Houthi strikes in Saudi Arabia killed at least two people at Dammam civilian airport and two others in a drone attack on an oil field, prompting the State Department's evacuation order and the military drawdown from Jordan, Qatar, and Kuwait. The moves come as Donald Trump considers launching fresh strikes against Iran's energy and nuclear infrastructure following the US midterm elections, with the escalation in Yemen opening another front in the regional conflict and disrupting global energy trade.