US orders diplomats out of Saudi Arabia amid reports of possible new strikes on Iran
The United States has ordered some diplomatic personnel and their families to leave Saudi Arabia amid escalating Houthi attacks, while US media report that President Donald Trump's administration is considering renewed military action against Iran.
The State Department announced the mandatory departure of personnel from its embassy in Riyadh and associated consulates, citing attacks on civilian airports and critical infrastructure by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen.
"The safety and security of department personnel and their families remain our highest priority," State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said.
The decision follows a series of deadly attacks on Saudi Arabia, including strikes on airports and oil facilities.
Saudi authorities reported that two people were killed and eight injured in overnight attacks on King Fahad International Airport in Dammam. Separately, falling debris from an intercepted drone targeting an oil facility killed two people and injured two others.
According to NBC News, the US military has also been quietly reducing its troop presence at bases across the Middle East in recent days.
NBC and other outlets reported that families of US diplomatic personnel were being withdrawn from the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Qatar and Bahrain.
However, Pigott disputed those reports, saying the State Department's departure order applied only to Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, The New York Times reported that the Trump administration was developing plans to resume strikes against Iran following the November 3 US midterm elections.
Trump said last week that the United States was considering targeting Iran's Pickaxe Mountain nuclear facility, but has publicly indicated that he does not intend to restart the war before the elections.
No decision to launch new strikes has been publicly announced.