OfficialDiplomacy & politicsSaudi Arabia
U.S. orders non-essential government staff and families to leave Saudi Arabia
- Mountain Time
- Local time
- 12:39 AM in Riyadh, Oct 22
- Where
- Saudi Arabia
The U.S. State Department ordered non-emergency U.S. government employees and their family members to depart Saudi Arabia, citing an uptick in attacks by Iran-backed Houthi militants. CBS News reported that several other U.S. embassies in the region shifted to restricted operations but were not placed under ordered departure.
Why it matters
The order reduces U.S. diplomatic staffing in Saudi Arabia and signals that Washington assesses the Houthi threat to the kingdom as serious enough to require a mandatory drawdown.
Source
- CBS Newscbsnews.comPublished
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