US orders some diplomats to leave Saudi Arabia amid Houthi threat

At least one person was killed in a strike on a Saudi airport in the eastern city of Dammam on Wednesday, as Washington ordered some diplomats and family members to leave the Gulf country.

Saudi Arabia's revived war with the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels has intensified in recent weeks, with the Yemeni rebels targeting several major Saudi airports.

Saudi Arabia on the backfoot in the war against the Houthis

What do we know about the strike on the airport in Dammam?

The Saudi Civil Aviation Authority said a strike on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam on Wednesday evening killed one person and injured eight others.

The authority added on X that the extent of the material damage to the airport was being assessed.

It did not say who was behind the attack and the Houthis did not claim responsibility.

Flight-tracking website Flightradar24 said flights from the airport were being diverted as operations came to a halt.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Saudi Energy Ministry said forces successfully intercepted a drone targeting an oil facility, but that falling debris killed two people and injured two others. Those killed were identified by the ministry as a Filipino and a Nepali national.

US State Department orders partial evacuation of Saudi mission

Meanwhile, US State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said his department had issued an order for the departure of non-essential staff and family members at the US embassy in Riyadh.

"Iranian-supported Houthis have increasingly engaged in hostilities against Saudi Arabia, including attacks on civilian airports and other critical infrastructure resulting in civilian casualties and severe travel disruptions," Pigott wrote on X.

Both Reuters and AFP news agencies cited unnamed sources as saying a similar order was also issued for other countries in the Gulf, with AFP listing the UAE, Jordan, Qatar and Bahrain.

Pigott denied the reports, saying they were "inaccurate" and that only employees in Saudi Arabia were ordered to leave.

The US has issued similar evacuation orders on more than one occasion this year amid the Iran war and Iranian strikes on Saudi Arabia in retaliation for the US-Israeli war against Tehran.

Houthi attacks on Saudi airports raise stakes for Washington

A four-year truce between Saudi Arabia and the Houthi rebels collapsed amid the Iran war, with Saudi Arabia experiencing near daily attacks this month.

Edited by: Roshni Majumdar

If you rely on our team for trusted reporting, please take a moment to select us as your Preferred Source on Google by clicking here and hitting the "star" or "preferred" button, so you'll always see our verified news first.