US Orders Staff out of Saudi Arabia, Reduces Troop Presence Across Middle East — Reports
10:11 22.10.2026 (Updated: 10:25 22.10.2026)
© AP Photo / Mosa'ab Elshamy
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The US State Department ordered non-emergency government employees and their families to leave Saudi Arabia as security concerns mount following a series of Houthi attacks, CBS News reported.
Other US embassies in the region have shifted to reduced staffing under “restricted operations,” but Saudi Arabia is currently the only Gulf state under an ordered departure.
The move follows recent drone and missile attacks on Saudi airports and energy infrastructure. Earlier this month, a strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh killed 12 people and injured more than 300, including one American among the dead.
The US military has also been quietly reducing its footprint at several Middle East posts amid continuing regional threats.
Asked earlier this month whether Washington could strike the Houthis in response, President Donald Trump replied: “We may.”
The move follows recent drone and missile attacks on Saudi airports and energy infrastructure. Earlier this month, a strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh killed 12 people and injured more than 300, including one American among the dead.
The US military has also been quietly reducing its footprint at several Middle East posts amid continuing regional threats.
Asked earlier this month whether Washington could strike the Houthis in response, President Donald Trump replied: “We may.”
