The United States military and the State Department are reducing their presence across the Middle East, ordering diplomats, family members, and troops to withdraw amid mounting security concerns. The moves come as Washington weighs potential military action involving strikes against Houthi forces and a possible resumption of operations against Iran following the upcoming midterm elections.
The State Department has ordered non-emergency government employees and family members to depart from its diplomatic missions in Saudi Arabia, while officials draw up plans for further withdrawals from other regional embassies. Concurrently, the Pentagon has begun pulling American troops from bases throughout the region, with personnel stationed in Jordan, Qatar, and Kuwait having been relocated, according to a US official speaking to NBC News. Washington is quietly downsizing its regional forces in response to escalating threats from both the Houthis and Iran.
The security adjustments follow a surge in violence linked to the ongoing regional conflict triggered by the US-Israeli war on Iran, which began in late February and has severely disrupted the global energy trade. In Saudi Arabia, recent Houthi attacks have targeted civilian infrastructure, including a drone strike on an oil field that left two people dead, and an assault on a civilian airport in Dammam that killed at least two people and injured eight others. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott addressed the escalation on social media, pointing to increasingly hostile actions by Iranian-supported Houthi forces against civilian targets and critical infrastructure, resulting in casualties and severe travel disruptions.
In response to the deteriorating security environment, the US embassy in Riyadh issued a warning on Wednesday regarding potential further attacks on the kingdom. The warning follows prior incidents, including a strike on Riyadh’s airport that resulted in dozens of deaths, and early March drone attacks that targeted both the US embassy and the CIA station hosted within the Saudi capital as Tehran launched regional operations.
Beyond immediate defensive measures, the impending troop and diplomatic adjustments coincide with discussions in Washington regarding future offensive operations. Reports indicate that the US and Israeli militaries have formulated plans for a short, intensive military operation targeting Iran following the US midterm elections. Potential targets include Tehran’s energy infrastructure, nuclear facilities, and missile and drone arsenals, with officials suggesting that a major strike could compel Iran to pursue diplomatic concessions. While Washington had previously returned some diplomatic personnel to the region following initial post-war withdrawals, the current drawdown reflects deepening anxieties over a wider regional escalation as leadership contemplates renewed hostilities next month.
