Washington Cuts Staff at 4 Middle East Embassies Amid Iranian and Houthi Threats

Key Facts

The U.S. State Department announced staff reductions at its embassies in Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar and the UAE, affecting 4 missions amid regional security concerns. The Associated Press reported that Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton sent a memo to Secretary of State Marco Rubio warning of increased Iranian efforts to target U.S. personnel. The memo described deadly Iranian plots against U.S. citizens as being in advanced stages in the Middle East and in "other countries" it did not identify. A U.S. official told Axios that Iranian terror plots and the threat of Houthi attacks had prompted Washington to reduce its diplomatic presence and retain essential personnel. The decision reflects two overlapping sources of security concern, while all four embassies continue to operate.

A staff reduction means fewer personnel at the missions, but does not require employees in Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar and the UAE to leave those countries. The State Department said the embassies would remain open, having already been operating under "ordered departure" conditions. This differs from an ordered departure, which requires nonessential employees and their families to leave, and from an authorized departure, which allows them to leave. In Saudi Arabia, nonessential employees had been ordered to depart, according to the Associated Press. The distinction sets clear limits on what the new decision means for diplomatic services in the four countries.

A U.S. official told Axios that Washington wanted to "reduce our presence and keep only essential personnel" because of the threat of Houthi attacks and Iranian plots. The United States fears that attacks by Iran-backed Houthis could spread from Saudi Arabia to other countries in the region. The Associated Press reported that fighting between the Saudi-led coalition and the Houthis had resumed, and that the group had launched missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia. In a more recent incident, the coalition said the Houthis launched 5 drones toward Saudi Arabia on the morning of October 21, and that they were intercepted and destroyed over Medina and the Eastern Province. The renewed fighting began in mid-July, and the coalition described the attack as the latest against Saudi Arabia since then.

The staff cuts follow a series of changes in the level of the U.S. diplomatic presence in the region during the year. In March, the number of embassies and consulates with reduced staffing rose to 10, while only two missions suspended operations entirely, according to the Associated Press. The agency described those reductions as the largest since the start of the Iraq war in 2003. That month, the State Department said it had helped more than 23,000 people with information or offers of seats on chartered return flights, and that at least 36,000 Americans had returned to the United States by then, most traveling commercially without government assistance. The department also advised Americans in 14 Middle Eastern countries to leave, issuing the warning two days after the war began, when airspace closures and flight cancellations made travel difficult.

Washington began easing some restrictions in August, announcing that the embassies in Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain would allow diplomats' family members to return; in Bahrain and Kuwait, permission was limited to those over 18. Previous departure restrictions were nearing expiration after 6 months, prompting the department to introduce "ordered departure" status and resume normal operations with staffing determined on a case-by-case basis. On the security front, the Associated Press reported that King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh had been closed since October 10 following a severe attack, and that Lufthansa and Air France had canceled flights to Riyadh until mid-November. The National reported, citing the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation, that an attack on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam on the evening of October 22 killed one person and injured 8. These incidents provide context for concerns that the threats could spread to other facilities and destinations in the region.

U.S. officials denied that the staff reductions were linked to any potential new U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, according to the Associated Press. The denial comes as mediators seek to bring Washington and Tehran back to formal talks, while the agency described the war as having reached a stalemate. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that any further escalation around the Strait of Hormuz or in the region would expose civilians, countries in the region and the global economy to significant risks. The upcoming political dates include the U.S. midterm elections scheduled for November 3, 2026. The four embassies will remain open for now, continuing to operate under restricted operations with reduced staffing.