The State Department on Wednesday, Oct. 21, ordered nonessential U.S. government employees and their family members to depart Saudi Arabia as the threat of Houthi attacks against the kingdom increased. The order followed a security alert issued the same day by the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, which warned of the possibility of additional attacks by the Iran-backed group, based in Yemen. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the Houthis had stepped up hostilities against Saudi Arabia, including attacks on civilian airports and critical infrastructure. Those strikes have caused civilian casualties and major travel disruptions, he said. “The safety and security of Department personnel and their families remain our highest priority,” Pigott said, adding that the department would take steps to protect and support them. The departure order applies to nonessential government staff and their families; the announcement did not specify how many people would leave or give a timeline for their departure. The alert and drawdown underscore the risks to U.S. personnel and civilian travel as attacks threaten key infrastructure in a major regional ally.