U.S. State Department Orders Non-essential Diplomats Out Of Saudi Arabia

WASHINGTON, March 8 (Reuters) – The U.S. State Department said on Sunday it had instructed nonessential U.S. diplomats and family members of U.S. government employees to leave Saudi Arabia due to security risks.

The United States began withdrawing non-essential personnel from Gulf Arab countries last Monday, three days after the war began. The US embassy in Riyadh on Tuesday approved voluntary departures four days after the war began, the same day it was hit by Iranian drones that sparked a fire that damaged mission facilities.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)