The U.S. State Department on Wednesday ordered non-emergency government personnel and their families to leave Saudi Arabia amid escalating Houthi attacks, while rejecting reports that similar evacuation measures were being prepared across the Gulf region.
State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott dismissed earlier reports citing U.S. officials that Washington was preparing to withdraw diplomatic personnel and their families from embassies throughout the Gulf.
"This is inaccurate," Pigott wrote on social media platform X.
"The US Department of State issued an ordered departure for non-emergency US government employees and their family members in Saudi Arabia only," he clarified.
Pigott said the decision followed attacks by Yemen's Houthi group against Saudi Arabia, including strikes targeting civilian airports and critical infrastructure that caused casualties and significant travel disruptions.
The clarification came after three U.S. officials said Washington was preparing to order departures from diplomatic missions across the Gulf amid concerns over a possible resumption of regional hostilities.
The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh issued a security alert on Wednesday about possible further attacks by the Houthis on Saudi Arabia, after recent deadly strikes, including on Riyadh's airport.
Pigott stressed that protecting American diplomatic personnel and their families remained the State Department's highest priority.
The move was due to a possible resumption of hostilities, particularly with Iran-aligned Houthi militia in Yemen, two of the U.S. officials said.
Two of the U.S. officials said the ordered departures would potentially involve the evacuation of all personnel and their families from the U.S. Mission to Saudi Arabia.
