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US preparing to issue ordered departure of some personnel from Gulf embassies, say US officials

By Thomson Reuters Oct 21, 2026 | 2:05 PM

JERUSALEM/ISTANBUL/DUBAI, Oct 21 (Reuters) – The US State Department is preparing to issue ​an ordered departure of ‌some personnel and family members from US embassies across the Gulf region, three US officials ‌said ​on Wednesday.

The move ⁠was due to ⁠a possible resumption of hostilities, particularly with Iran-aligned Houthi militia in Yemen, two ​of the US officials said.

The US Embassy ⁠in Riyadh issued ⁠a security alert ​on Wednesday about possible further ​attacks by the Houthis on ‌Saudi Arabia, after recent deadly strikes including on Riyadh’s airport.

Two of the ⁠US officials said the ordered departures would potentially involve the evacuation ⁠of ‌all personnel and ⁠their families from the ​US ‌Mission to Saudi ​Arabia.

(Reporting by ⁠Rami Ayyub, Humeyra Pamuk and Timour Azhari; additional reporting by Simon Lewis; editing by Michelle Nichols and ​Don Durfee)