US Orders Diplomatic Families Out of Saudi Arabia After Deadly Houthi Strikes
The United States State Department ordered non-emergency government employees and their families to depart Saudi Arabia on October 22, 2026, following a surge of deadly Houthi strikes on critical civilian and energy infrastructure. Diplomatic missions across the wider Gulf region are also preparing to withdraw dependent family members as regional security deteriorates.
State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott confirmed the mandatory departure order via social media, pointing to escalating hostilities by Iran-aligned Houthi forces in Yemen. The directives follow coordinated attacks that struck King Fahd International Airport in Dammam and facilities belonging to Saudi Aramco, significantly raising threat levels for foreign personnel stationed in the kingdom.
The strike on Dammam’s civilian airport left one person dead and eight others injured, according to reports from Saudi Arabia‘s civil aviation authority. Hours earlier, a separate drone attack targeted a Saudi Aramco oil field, where falling debris killed two people. Four US officials speaking to Reuters indicated that parallel withdrawal orders for family members would soon affect multiple US diplomatic posts across neighboring Gulf states as well.
Washington had previously returned diplomatic personnel to the region after initial evacuations triggered by Tehran’s attacks following the outbreak of the US-Israeli war on Iran in late February. The ongoing escalation in Yemen has continually disrupted global energy trade and destabilized Gulf economies, opening a persistent secondary front in the broader regional conflict.
