State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a social media post that the Houthis had intensified attacks against Saudi Arabia, targeting civilian airports and other critical infrastructure.
“These attacks have resulted in civilian casualties and significant disruptions to travel,” he said.
“The safety and security of our department personnel and their families is our top priority,” Pigott added.
This is inaccurate. The U.S. Department of State issued an ordered departure for non-emergency U.S. government employees and their family members in Saudi Arabia only.
Iranian-supported Houthis have increasingly engaged in hostilities against Saudi Arabia, including attacks on civilian airports and other critical infrastructure resulting in civilian casualties and severe travel disruptions.
The safety and security of Department personnel and their families remain our highest priority, and we will continue to take all necessary steps to protect and support them.
— Tommy Pigott (@statedeptspox) October 21, 2026
The decision comes after separate attacks on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam and an oil facility in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province on Wednesday left three people dead and 10 injured, according to Saudi authorities.
At the Shaybah oilfield, two people from the Philippines and Nepal were killed and two others, including a Pakistani national, were injured by falling debris after a drone targeting a processing facility was intercepted. The incident also caused a fire in a contractor’s vehicle but did not affect operations, the Saudi Ministry of Energy said.
Separately, an attack on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam killed one person and injured eight others, according to Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation.
Saudi authorities also reported intercepting multiple drones launched towards the kingdom on Wednesday, including drones directed towards the Eastern Province, the southern region and the area around Madinah, where the Prophet’s Mosque is located.
A diplomatic source in the Middle East told AFP that some family members of US embassy personnel were also being recalled from the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Qatar and Bahrain.
However, Pigott clarified that the order announced on Wednesday applied only to non-emergency embassy personnel and their family members in Saudi Arabia.
