US orders some diplomats to leave Saudi Arabia as Houthi attacks escalate

Key Points:

• The US State Department has ordered the departure of non-emergency US diplomats and their families from Saudi Arabia due to escalating attacks, including deadly strikes that have killed three people across the country.
• Saudi authorities reported that two people died from debris after intercepting a drone attack on the Shaybah oil field, and one person was killed in a strike at King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, where eight others were injured.
• The Iran-backed Houthi rebels have intensified missile and drone attacks on Saudi airports, energy facilities, and military bases in retaliation for Saudi airstrikes and a maritime blockade, leading to significant civilian casualties and travel disruptions.
• The conflict in Yemen, which began with the Houthis' 2014 takeover of Sanaa and escalated with a Saudi-led coalition intervention in 2015, has worsened since July when an informal ceasefire broke down amid renewed hostilities and a Houthi-declared maritime embargo.
• The Houthi blockade in the Bab al-Mandab Strait has disrupted Saudi oil exports through the Red Sea, contributing to rising global oil prices, especially as alternative routes like the Strait of Hormuz remain closed due to regional tensions involving the US, Israel, and Iran.