US Orders Staff Departures From Saudi Arabia as Another Airport Attack Turns Deadly, Crypto Bettors Weigh Odds of Houthi Escalation
The State Department ordered some U.S. diplomatic staff and their family members to leave missions in Saudi Arabia as hostilities between Iran-backed Houthis and the Kingdom escalated.Middle East on the BoilTommy Pigott, spokesperson for the State Department, said the order was limited to “non-emergency” government employees in Saudi Arabia, dismissing reports that similar departures had been ordered at U.S. diplomatic missions across the Middle East.“The safety and security of Department personnel and their families remain our highest priority, and we will continue to take all necessary steps to protect and support them,” Pigott said, pointing to increased hostilities by Yemen’s Houthi fighters.Reuters reported, citing U.S. officials, that missions in other Gulf states would also be ordering family members to leave.This is inaccurate. The U.S. Department of State issued an ordered departure for non-emergency U.S. government employees and their family members in Saudi Arabia only.Iranian-supported Houthis have increasingly engaged in hostilities against Saudi Arabia, including attacks on… Another Saudi Airport AttackedThe order comes after Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority reported an attack on King Fahd International Airport in the eastern city of Dammam that killed one person and injured eight others.: Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) reports one expatriate killed and eight others injured in an attack targeting King Fahd International Airport in Dammam on Wednesday evening. The latest attack comes days after a deadly missile strike on Saudi Arabia’s King Khalid International Airport , and injured more than 300. Saudi authorities blamed the Iran-backed Houthis for the attack, calling the strike a “fully-fledged war crime” and vowing a firm response.President Donald Trump said last week in Saudi military operations against the Houthis.Meanwhile, betting crowd on Polygon -based Polymarket priced in a 9% chance that the Houthi forces enter Saudi Arabia by the month-end, and a 33% chance by the end of 2026.Preview Photo courtesy: Markus Mainka / Shutterstock.com