U.S. ordering some government staff to depart Saudi Arabia as concerns about Houthis flare

October 21, 2026 / 5:39 PM EDT / CBS News

The U.S. State Department has ordered non-essential U.S. embassy personnel and their family members to depart Saudi Arabia, following an uptick in attacks on the kingdom by Iran-backed Houthi militants.

The department "issued an ordered departure for non-emergency U.S. government employees and their family members in Saudi Arabia only," spokesperson Tommy Pigott wrote in a Wednesday X post, pushing back on a report that orders could apply to other Gulf states.

CBS News has learned several other embassies adjusted their staffing under "restricted operations" status, but have not gone on ordered departure, which involves the mandatory evacuation of designated diplomatic staff and accompanying family due to security risks.

The restricted operations status, which the department introduced in August amid flare-ups in the war with Iran, allows embassies to reduce staffing and services without fully suspending operations.

The decision to draw down personnel in Saudi Arabia comes after U.S. embassies in the kingdom, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and other countries issued warnings over the weekend, urging Americans in the region to exercise caution and prepare for travel disruptions due to Houthi attacks.

"Iranian-supported Houthis have increasingly engaged in hostilities…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/world/