(Adnkronos) – The US State Department has ordered some diplomats and family members of US government employees to leave Saudi Arabia, as the Gulf kingdom is being targeted by a series of almost daily attacks, with at least three people killed last night at an airport and an oil field. The Guardian reports that attacks against “civilian airports and other critical infrastructure” by Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen were cited as the reason for the withdrawal. State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said: “The safety and security of Department personnel and their families remains our highest priority.”
The State Department said the order applies to its embassy in Riyadh and its consulates. The embassy was severely damaged at the beginning of the US war against Iran and for months operated with skeleton staff, although some diplomats have returned in recent weeks.
