US orders staff out of Saudi Arabia, cuts Middle East staffing
The United States State Department ordered non-emergency government employees and their family members to leave Saudi Arabia, while quietly reducing staffing levels at several other embassies across the Middle East amid escalating Houthi attacks. CNN reported the diplomatic adjustments, noting that the moves mirror the chaotic evacuations seen earlier in the year during the height of the Iran war.
Houthi Attacks Drive Saudi Arabia Departures
The ordered departure for Saudi Arabia comes in direct response to intensifying hostilities from the Iranian-backed Houthis. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott stated on X that the group has increasingly targeted civilian infrastructure, including civilian airports, resulting in casualties and severe travel disruptions. On October 10, Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport closed following a severe attack, and major international carriers like Lufthansa and Air France canceled flights through mid-November.
Security Alert: U.S. Mission Saudi Arabia (October 21, 2026)Iranian-supported Houthis have engaged in hostilities against Saudi Arabia, including attacks on civilian airports and other critical infrastructure resulting in civilian casualties and severe travel disruptions. The… pic.twitter.com/cRvHCuSgCQ
Further compounding the danger, the Saudi Energy Ministry reported that falling debris from an intercepted drone killed two foreign nationals—Nepali and Filipino—and injured two others at the Shaybah oil field in the country’s southeast. Additional strikes hit King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, injuring eight people and causing material damage.
Staff Reductions Across the Gulf and Levant
While the State Department formally designated Saudi Arabia for an ordered departure, it simultaneously adjusted staffing caps at multiple other regional posts. A State Department official confirmed to CNN that Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Jordan will see temporary staffing changes under restricted operations status. Media outlets including NBC and AFP reported that families of U.S. embassy personnel were also being withdrawn from those nations, though Pigott initially described reports of wider withdrawals as inaccurate before officials confirmed the restricted operations adjustments.
Trump supporter or not, moving diplomats is a step to provide optionality in case he wants to attack Iran post mid-terms.#oott https://t.co/z6owjic82q
Diplomatic posts in Kuwait and Bahrain remain unaffected, with officials indicating those missions have not exceeded their established staffing caps. The differing classifications mean that while Saudi Arabia requires a mandatory evacuation of non-essential personnel and dependents, embassies in Amman, Doha, Abu Dhabi, and Beirut are experiencing quiet draws without a formal change in overall embassy status.
Foreign Service Families Lack Housing and Financial Assistance
For returning foreign service families, the latest orders have brought a repeat of earlier logistical nightmares. Many had only recently returned to their Middle East posts after being ordered out during the early weeks of the war. Nikki Gamer, spokesperson for the American Foreign Service Association, stated that families are understandably upset, confused, and angry. Unlike the formal Saudi evacuation, families leaving posts under restricted operations are not receiving confirmed housing assistance or per diem allowances before departure.
Diplomats criticized the rollout, describing a lack of communication and coordination.
Trump Considers Strikes Against Iran After Midterms
The diplomatic drawdown unfolds against a backdrop of wider potential military escalation. President Donald Trump suggested he could relaunch strikes against Iran following the midterms, while sources told CNN that Israel has lobbied for more immediate action. The New York Times reported that the administration is developing plans to restart the war on Iran, though Trump has publicly maintained he does not intend to restart the war before the November 3 elections. Defense Secretary Peter Hegseth recently traveled to Israel for meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding a potential short, intensive operation targeting sites such as Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain nuclear facility.
Big news here.One of the earliest goals the Trump administration set for the Iran war was neutralizing the threat of its proxies.Now the US is evacuating staff in a nearby country because one of those proxies is such a threat.https://t.co/RdzCxz6sQP
More on Saudi Arabia
The U.S. military has quietly been scaling back its troop presence at bases across the Middle East in recent days, and the State Department is ordering a further reduction in staff at multiple diplomatic posts in the region, according to two U.S. officials and two people familiar…