US Readies Orders for Some Embassy Staff to Leave Gulf Posts
40 sourcesUpdated Oct 21, 20261 min read
The State Department is preparing to issue an ordered departure for some personnel and family members from U.S. embassies in the Gulf, three U.S. officials told Reuters, amid concern hostilities could flare up again. Two officials named the Houthis in Yemen as the primary worry and said the order could extend to every staff member and family at the U.S. Mission in Saudi Arabia. The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh issued a security alert that Houthis may launch more attacks on the kingdom. The department has not yet formally announced any order. CONTESTED: A diplomatic source told AFP that all American staff and their families have been ordered to depart from the U.S. embassy in Saudi Arabia and that families were also ordered to leave the UAE, Jordan, Qatar and Bahrain. Other accounts describe a planned departure for some personnel with details not publicly confirmed. Investing.com reported a State Department statement limiting it to non-emergency personnel from Saudi Arabia only. The Sun reported Houthi missile attacks on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport killed 17 and injured over 300 and described regional escalation after a February U.S. bombing of Iran and an Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Reports have renewed concerns about regional energy security, contributing to a rebound in crude oil prices.
Where do you stand?
How it spread
What each side asserts, disputes — or leaves out entirely.
Whose framing of this story rings truest to you?
Left· 10 sources
“US orders departure of some embassy staff and families from Saudi Arabia amid Houthi threat”Center· 2 sources
“US orders some diplomats to leave Saudi Arabia as fears of escalating Houthi attacks rise - KTAR”Right· 11 sources
I wonder if these orders mean wider problems are expected across the region soon.
Families leaving Gulf posts is the right call when security can't be guaranteed anymore.
This move to pull staff from Saudi Arabia suggests real threats are being taken seriously by officials.
Places
Most Powerful Countries in the World
25 candidates · 666 votes · vote on the order
Places
Most Powerful Militaries in the World
26 candidates · 609 votes · vote on the order
Places
Richest Countries in the World
26 candidates · 497 votes · vote on the order
History
Most Populous Countries in the World
100 candidates · 0 votes · vote on the order
