Vehicles travel along a road in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Oct. 22, 2026. (Credit: Mohammed Benmansour/Reuters)
The U.S. State Department ordered nonessential staff at its embassy in Riyadh and their families to leave Saudi Arabia as the kingdom faces near-daily attacks by the Houthis, as it leads the coalition fighting them in Yemen.
“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,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott wrote on X.
Oil giant Saudi Aramco also asked employees to evacuate its headquarters in Dhahran.
On the diplomatic front, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty stressed the importance of exploring all options for a political solution between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis.
Meanwhile, a Houthi attack Wednesday evening on Dammam International Airport in eastern Saudi Arabia killed two people, one Saudi national and one Indian national, and injured eight others.
Why it matters
Recent Houthi attacks on Saudi oil facilities and civilian infrastructure have forced Riyadh to close its main airport and postpone a major investment conference. Several diplomatic missions have also restricted staff movements in the kingdom because of security concerns.
The attacks followed the collapse in July of a years-long truce in Yemen's civil war, in which the Houthis have fought the government, backed by a Saudi-led coalition.
The Houthis declared a maritime blockade targeting Saudi Arabia, the world's largest crude oil exporter, and began attacking its vessels and territory. They then launched an offensive in Yemen in September, seizing territory along the Red Sea coast.
In response, Saudi warplanes have repeatedly struck Houthi-controlled areas, which cover much of Yemen.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards on Thursday threatened to strike American bases across the Middle East if the U.S. military continues to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
"The U.S. military must know that if this trend continues, the conflict will extend to its bases in the region," the Guards, the ideological arm of Iran's military, said in a statement on their Sepah News website.
Iran claims control of the waterway, through which about one-fifth of the world's oil passed before the war triggered by Israeli and U.S. strikes on Tehran in late February. Iranian forces regularly target ships that attempt to transit the strait without their permission.
Washington, meanwhile, has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports, while U.S. forces escort ships seeking to cross the strait without Tehran's approval.
- Israeli attacks continue in southern Lebanon: Israeli forces carried out several attacks Thursday across areas they occupy in southern Lebanon, as four Israeli tanks advanced toward the Nabeh al-Khokh area on the outskirts of Hebbarieh (Hasbaya district), according to our south Lebanon correspondent.
- The advance followed Israeli artillery fire and bursts of machine-gun fire. Israeli airstrikes hit Kfar Tibnit (Nabatieh) and Qantara (Marjayoun). Israeli forces demolished multiple houses in Bani Hayan and Tallousa (Marjayoun), with tremors felt as far away as the Nabatieh district, north of the Litani River.
- Israel kills man with a disability in southern Syria: Israeli soldiers killed a man with a disability during an incursion in southern Syria, the official Syrian news agency Sana reported. Israeli forces have recently intensified operations in the area. According to Sana, Israeli troops deployed in a neighborhood of the village and stationed snipers on rooftops after bombing the region Wednesday night.
- Macron condemns violence in France: The French government continued efforts Thursday to contain criticism following chaotic scenes on Oct. 17, holding several meetings with political groups and intelligence agencies. President Emmanuel Macron, back from a tour of Gulf countries, condemned what he called “seditious acts” by “ultra-left” groups that pose an “extreme danger” and seek to “bring down the Republic.” He also called for “the utmost severity” in response to what he described as criminal acts linked to violence and looting on the sidelines of protests against the high cost of living.
