US orders nonessential embassy staff to leave Saudi Arabia after Houthi attacks

The United States ordered non-essential embassy staff and their families to leave Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, citing escalating deadly Houthi attacks on the kingdom. The State Department announced the measure as a security precaution. State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said Iranian-supported Houthis have increasingly targeted civilian airports and critical infrastructure, causing casualties and travel disruptions. While a diplomatic source said some families were also withdrawn from other Gulf nations, Pigott stressed the order applied only to Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has faced near-daily Houthi attacks this month, including a deadly strike on Riyadh's airport. The order follows previous US staff withdrawals before strikes on Iran, which began in late February after a truce in Yemen's civil war collapsed in June.