Madar (International) - The US State Department on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, ordered non-essential staff at its embassy in Riyadh and their families to leave Saudi Arabia, as Houthi attacks on the kingdom have become near-daily, France 24 reported, citing news agencies.
State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said on X that the Iran-backed Houthis had "increasingly engaged in hostile acts" against Saudi Arabia, causing civilian casualties and severe travel disruption. A diplomatic source said Washington had issued similar orders for the families of staff at its embassies in the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Qatar and Bahrain.
Saudi Arabia said on Wednesday it had intercepted six drones launched towards its territory, one of them targeting the Medina area, according to coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki, who attributed the sixth to the Houthis. The Saudi Energy Ministry said a drone intercepted over the Shaybah oil field in the Eastern Province killed two people, of Filipino and Nepali nationality, and injured Pakistani and Indian nationals.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree denied on Telegram that the group had carried out any military operation against Saudi territory that day, calling the reported interceptions over Medina "a false claim".
On the same day, French President Emmanuel Macron landed in Riyadh on an unscheduled stop during his Gulf tour, which his office said was meant to show "France's solidarity" with Saudi Arabia over Houthi attacks on its territory, France 24 reported.
