US orders diplomats out of Saudi Arabia amid Mideast war

The U.S. State Department has directed that non-essential diplomats and family members of American officials depart from Saudi Arabia due to security concerns, Reuters reports.

The decision was announced in the evening of March 8 from Washington. On March 2, three days after the outbreak of hostilities in the region, the United States began evacuating non-essential personnel from Gulf Arab countries.

The move follows a recent incident in which Iranian drones struck the U.S. embassy in Riyadh, causing fires and structural damage to the compound.