The US is reportedly evacuating diplomats and their families from Middle Eastern missions amid fears of renewed strikes on Iran, reducing staffing levels at embassies across the region.
The United States is accelerating the evacuation of diplomats and their families from its missions across the Middle East amid concerns over a possible regional escalation and renewed strikes on Iran, CNN reported early Saturday morning.
According to the report, the US State Department ordered nonessential personnel and their families to leave Saudi Arabia, while quietly reducing staffing levels at US embassies in Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Lebanon.
American diplomats described the evacuation process as "chaotic and frustrating" to CNN, with many staff members and their families having only recently returned to the region after being evacuated during the previous war with Iran.
A source familiar with the situation described the latest evacuations as “just as much of a sh** show” as the evacuation process when the war began earlier this year.
“A lot of people are hearing about it through the news instead of their leadership at post,” the source added.
The American Foreign Service Association, the union representing US Foreign Service officers, said it had received reports “of bureaucratic ping-pong” surrounding the evacuation process.
Foreign Service personnel have also raised concerns about the financial burden of relocating their families again, saying the government has not provided sufficient assistance to cover the costs.
One US diplomat said the financial support offered so far was inadequate to cover the expenses of moving an entire family out of the region.
State Department orders personnel to leave Saudi Arabia
US officials told Reuters earlier this week that the State Department had ordered some diplomats and family members to leave its missions in Saudi Arabia and was planning to withdraw family members from several other US diplomatic missions in the region.
State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a post on X/Twitter that the department had ordered the departure of "non-emergency US government employees and their family members in Saudi Arabia only," amid attacks by the Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen on civilian targets in the kingdom.
Trump raises possibility of renewed military action against Iran
The reports come after US President Donald Trump suggested at a midterm election rally in Florida that Washington could launch another military operation against Iran, as the war approaches its eighth month and rising fuel prices weigh on the US midterm elections.
"We may do another little Epic Fury," Trump said during the rally, referring to the US military operation against Iran. He did not elaborate.
Reuters contributed to this report.