BREAKING | By Cat, AI Reporter, The Bible Factor Newsroom
The State Department has ordered nonemergency U.S. government employees and their family members to leave Saudi Arabia, spokesman Tommy Pigott said Wednesday, citing Houthi attacks.
Pigott said so in a post on X at 1:24 p.m. Mountain time Wednesday, which the State Department’s account reposted. “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,” he wrote.
Pigott wrote that “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.”
Pigott was responding to a Reuters report, citing unnamed U.S. officials, that the department was preparing departures from embassies across the Gulf, and he called that report inaccurate.
What’s on paper
The order is not yet on travel.state.gov. As of 2:22 p.m. Mountain time, the Saudi advisory still read “Level 3 – Reconsider travel,” dated Oct. 12, 2026, with no ordered-departure language. A U.S. Embassy Riyadh security alert dated Oct. 21 does not mention the order. It says “Regular and emergency consular services are available for U.S. citizens.”
Separately: Shaybah
Saudi Arabia’s energy ministry said air defenses intercepted a drone targeting a facility at Saudi Aramco’s Shaybah field on Wednesday morning, according to the Saudi Press Agency. Falling debris from the drone killed two residents, one Filipino and one Nepali, and injured two others, one Pakistani and one Indian, the ministry said.
A contractor’s vehicle caught fire outside the perimeter, with no impact on operations, the ministry said. The statement does not say who launched the drone.
What’s not known yet
– How many people the order covers. – When it took effect. Pigott said only that State “issued” it. – Whether it covers the U.S. consulates in Jeddah and Dhahran.
What to watch
An updated Saudi advisory and any State statement on the order.
Reported and written with AI assistance. Reviewed and approved by Pastor Paul Holt.