U.S. ordering some government staff to depart Saudi Arabia, reducing military footprint in Middle East

Updated on: October 21, 2026 / 7:28 PM EDT / CBS News

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

The U.S. military has also been quietly reducing its footprint at posts in the Middle East due to ongoing regional threats from the Houthis and direct threats from Iran, a U.S. official and a senior U.S. military official told CBS News on Wednesday.

The State 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.

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