The U.S. ordered non-emergency staff and families out of Saudi Arabia as an attack on Dammam's airport killed one person

The State Department on Wednesday, October 21, ordered the departure of non-emergency U.S. government employees and their families from Saudi Arabia, spokesperson Tommy Pigott announced. "Iranian-supported Houthis have increasingly engaged in hostilities against Saudi Arabia," Pigott said, as reported by CBS News. The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh issued a security alert warning of further attacks.

Pigott said the order applies only to Saudi Arabia. U.S. officials separately told Reuters that families are expected to be withdrawn from several other missions in the region, so the scope may widen. U.S. officials also told CBS that the military has been quietly reducing its footprint in the Middle East.

What happened at Dammam?

Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation said an attack on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam killed one person and injured eight, with injuries ranging from minor to critical, Al Jazeera reported. The authority did not say who was responsible. On the same day, Saudi air defenses intercepted a drone aimed at the Shaybah oilfield, and falling debris killed two people.

The attacks follow two strikes on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport: one on October 10 that killed 12 people and injured more than 300, including an American, according to CBS, and another on October 11 that killed one and injured 11. Fighting between the Houthis and Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces has intensified against the backdrop of the U.S. conflict with Iran. Iran denies a role in the escalation.

What travelers should do

Anyone with plans to travel to or through Saudi Arabia should check the State Department's current advisory, enroll in its Smart Traveler Enrollment Program and confirm flight status directly with airlines, since airport operations can change quickly after attacks.