The United States has ordered non-essential embassy staff and their families to leave Saudi Arabia as the kingdom faces sustained deadly attacks by Yemen's Houthis. State department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the safety of department personnel remains the highest priority. A diplomatic source told AFP that some families were also being withdrawn from the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Qatar and Bahrain, but Pigott said Thursday's order applied only to Saudi Arabia. Saudi authorities said one person was killed and others were hurt in drone-related incidents this week, while a diplomatic source reported the withdrawals elsewhere.
The United States has ordered non-essential embassy staff and their families to leave Saudi Arabia as the kingdom faces sustained deadly attacks by Yemen's Houthis. The State Department order followed attacks that killed at least one person and injured eight at Dammam airport, while two people died in a drone attack on an oil field. Saudi officials said falling debris from an intercepted drone killed a Filipino and a Nepali national. The Houthis have carried out near-daily attacks this month, including a strike on Riyadh's international airport. Iranian state media reported explosions in Hormozgan province.
The Australian government has told travellers not to fly to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, after three attacks on airports killed 12 people and injured more than 300 this week. The Iran-backed Houthis claimed responsibility for the earlier attacks, which targeted King Khalid Airport and other infrastructure. Operations at King Khalid Airport have been suspended, and hundreds of flights have been cancelled. The Saudi-led coalition called the attack a war crime and vowed a firm response. There is no indication of when flights to Riyadh will resume.
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Operations at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh have been suspended after a second attack on the facility, Saudi authorities say. Several people were injured, although the number was not confirmed. No group immediately claimed responsibility, though the Houthi rebels had claimed earlier strikes on the airport this week. Hundreds of flights have been cancelled or diverted. Separately, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas postponed legislative and presidential elections until September 2027, citing Israeli measures.
