The United States government has recently asked some of its diplomats and the families of government employees to leave Saudi Arabia. This decision was made following an unprecedented increase in Houthi attacks on the critical infrastructure of Saudi Arabia, including airports and oil facilities. In a recent attack, several people lost their lives at the airport and oil facilities, raising international security concerns.
Security Reasons and the Situation of Houthi Attacks
Mr. Tommy Pigott, spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State, stated that "the security and safety of State Department personnel and their families is one of our top priorities," and for this reason, the decision to reduce the number of diplomats was made. According to available information, this order includes the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh and its affiliated consulates. This embassy has long been operating with a limited number of personnel and has been severely affected since the start of the U.S. war with Iran.
Similar Reports from Other Countries in the Region
Alongside this decision, reports have emerged about the departure of families of U.S. diplomats from the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Qatar, and Bahrain. While some media outlets have pointed to this issue, Mr. Pigott described these reports as inaccurate and emphasized that only the departure from Saudi Arabia is on the agenda.
In recent weeks, Saudi Arabia has faced deadly attacks from the Houthis, one of which targeted Riyadh International Airport and other critical facilities in the country. In one of these attacks, a Saudi citizen lost their life, and eight others were injured. In this context, the global flight tracking service redirected flights from this airport to other destinations.
Additionally, the Saudi Ministry of Energy announced that the crash of debris from a drone aimed at an oil facility in the southeast of the country resulted in the deaths of two people and injuries to several others. However, the Houthis have not claimed responsibility for any of these attacks, but critical infrastructure, especially airports and oil facilities, has been the main target of this group in the recent wave of missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia.
The United States government had previously issued an order for the departure of non-essential personnel from the region earlier this year due to the start of its war against Iran. Some sources have reported that the U.S. military is gradually reducing its presence at military bases in the Middle East, but a spokesperson for U.S. Central Command stated that the movement of personnel is being conducted regularly to optimize mission readiness.
These developments come amid reports of the Trump administration's plans to resume attacks on Iran after the midterm elections. The New York Times has noted that the United States and Israel are planning a short but intensive operation.
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