US Orders Non-Emergency Staff and Families to Leave Saudi Arabia
The State Department ordered non-emergency U.S. government employees and their family members to leave Saudi Arabia, citing increased Houthi hostilities. An attack at King Fahd International Airport in Dammam killed one person and injured eight, according to Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority.
The State Department ordered some U.S. diplomatic staff and their family members to leave missions in Saudi Arabia as hostilities between Iran-backed Houthis and the Kingdom escalated. Middle East on the Boil Tommy Pigott, spokesperson for the State Department, said the order was limited to "non-emergency" government employees in Saudi Arabia, dismissing reports that similar departures had been ordered at U.S. diplomatic missions across the Middle East.
"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," Pigott said, pointing to increased hostilities by Yemen's Houthi fighters. Reuters reported, citing U.S. officials, that missions in other Gulf states would also be ordering family members to leave. 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… — Tommy Pigott (@statedeptspox) October 21, 2026 Read Also: Marjorie Taylor Greene Says Democrat Abdul El-Sayed Will Win Michigan if Trump Attacks Iran Before the Midterms: 'It's a Stupid Senseless War' Another Saudi Airport Attacked The order comes after Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authority reported an attack on King Fahd International Airport in the eastern city of Dammam that killed one person and injured eight others.
#BREAKING: Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) reports one expatriate killed and eight others injured in an attack targeting King Fahd International Airport in Dammam on Wednesday evening. pic.twitter.com/cQAeSyHoeZ — Saudi Gazette (@Saudi_Gazette) October 21, 2026 The latest attack comes days after a deadly missile strike on Saudi Arabia's King Khalid International Airport that killed 12 people, including a U.S. citizen, and injured more than 300. Saudi authorities blamed the Iran-backed Houthis for the attack, calling the strike a "fully-fledged war crime" and vowing a firm response.
President Donald Trump said last week he was considering U.S. involvement in Saudi military operations against the Houthis. Meanwhile, betting crowd on Polygon (CRYPTO: POL) -based Polymarket priced in a 9% chance that the Houthi forces enter Saudi Arabia by the month-end, and a 33% chance by the end of 2026. Source: Polymarket Read Also: Iran Ready to Give Trump Another Chance at Peace, Says Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi: 'If US Chooses War Over Diplomacy…' Photo courtesy: Markus Mainka / Shutterstock.com