# US orders diplomats out of Saudi Arabia as Houthis escalate

> The state department withdraws staff and families from its embassy in Riyadh after a surge of attacks on airports and oil facilities by Iran-backed militants.
- Title: US orders diplomats out of Saudi Arabia as Houthis escalate
- Summary: The state department withdraws staff and families from its embassy in Riyadh after a surge of attacks on airports and oil facilities by Iran-backed…
- Keywords: saudi arabia, houthis, yemen, us state department, iran, middle east, diplomatic withdrawal, news, world, orders, diplomats, Saudi
- Source: the Guardian — https://theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/22/us-diplomats-told-to-leave-saudi-arabia-amid-houthi-attacks
- Published: 2026-10-22T00:26:50+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: saudi arabia, houthis, yemen, us state department, iran, middle east, diplomatic withdrawal, news, world
## State department orders Saudi withdrawal
The US state department has ordered some diplomats and families of US government employees to leave Saudi Arabia as the kingdom faces near-daily attacks from Iranian-supported Houthis in Yemen.
## Attacks kill at least three on Wednesday
At least three people were killed at an airport and oilfield on Wednesday evening. The state department said attacks on civilian airports and other critical infrastructure by the Houthis prompted the drawdown.
## Embassy and consulates affected
The order covers the US embassy in Riyadh and its satellite consulates. The embassy had been badly damaged at the start of the US war on Iran and had been operating with only a skeleton…
## Reports of wider regional withdrawals
Media including NBC and AFP reported that families of US embassy personnel were also being withdrawn from the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Qatar and Bahrain. State department spokesperson Tommy Pigott described these reports as inaccurate.
## Escalating Houthi campaign continues
On Thursday, two people were killed in overnight attacks on King Fahad international airport in Dammam.Separately, falling debris from interception of a drone targeting an oil facility killed two more people and injured two others.
## Trump administration developing Iran strike plans
The New York Times reported that the Trump administration was developing plans to restart the war on Iran. Defense secretary Peter Hegseth travelled to Israel earlier this week for meetings with prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
## Key takeaway

The US state department ordered diplomats and their families to leave Saudi Arabia as Iran-backed Houthis intensified attacks on civilian infrastructure, killing at least three people on Wednesday.