Travelers to hot spot sternly warned by State Department as officials deny wider Gulf shutdown

Americans traveling in and through the Middle East have a new wrinkle to sort out.

The U.S.State Department has pushed back against circulating reports that it directed nonessential government personnel and their dependents to leavethe entire Gulf region,clarifying that the departure order applies only to Saudi Arabia.

State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott dismissed the broader regional claims, calling them “inaccurate” after the department released a formal statement confirming the targeted drawdown within the kingdom. 

“The U.S.Department of State issued an ordered departure for non-emergency U.S.government employees and their family members in Saudi Arabia,” the department said. 

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The clarification arrived amid an uptick in militant strikes aimed atkey regional transit hubs. 

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�Iranian-supported Houthis have increasingly engaged in hostilities against Saudi Arabia, including attacks on civilian airports and other critical infrastructure resulting in civilian casualties andsevere travel disruptions.”

The U.S.State Department emphasized that the safety and security of its staff and their households in Saudi Arabia, pictured here, remain its highest priority after travelers to the region are cautioned. (iStock)

Officials warned the security environment remains highly volatile, adding the conflict “has the potential to escalate rapidly, including beyond that immediate area.”

The department emphasized that the safety and security of its staff and its households remain its highest priority. 

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The United States “will continue to take all necessary steps to protect and support them as they return to the U.S.,” the spokesperson said.

The current security environment remains highly volatile.

In late September, the State Department renewed its warning to Americans traveling in and throughthe Middle Eastamid escalating regional tensions.

The warning came asIran-backed Houthi rebelslaunched a ballistic missile toward Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which Saudi Arabia said its air defenses intercepted.

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The State Department pushed back against circulating reports that it had directed nonessential government personnel and their dependents to leave the entire Gulf region.(iStock)

Residents reported hearing an explosion and later seeing a plume of smoke near King Khalid International Airport, according to The Associated Press.

No casualties or damage from the attack were reported at the time.

In an X post in September, the State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs warned that the security environment in the Middle East “remains complex with the potential for unforeseen escalation.”

The agency added, “Americans currently in the Middle East should exercise heightened vigilance and be aware of potential flight cancellations,airspace closuresand travel disruptions.”

A plume of smoke rises during a reported airstrike by the Saudi-led coalition on the Houthi-controlled Yemeni capital Sanaa, Oct.9, 2026.

Officials specifically cited hostilities between Saudi Arabia and theIran-backed Houthisin their warning.

“Iranian-supported Houthis have engaged in hostilities against Saudi Arabia, including civilian airports,” the post said.

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“This military conflict has the potential to escalate rapidly.Americans outside the Middle East should seriouslyreconsider travelto and through the region.”

The agency also advised those traveling to or from the region to monitor airport and airline operations, warning thatU.S.diplomatic facilitieshave been targeted, including outside the Middle East.

Traffic moves at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, Bangladesh, amid flight cancellations affecting Saudi Arabia-bound travelers following reported Houthi attacks in Saudi Arabia.(SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

In June, U.S.officials similarly urged Americansacross the Middle Eastto remain vigilant as tensions mounted across the region.

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At the time, officials warned that airspace closures, demonstrations and threats to locations associated with the United States could disrupt travel with little notice.

The State Department also maintained its “Level 3: Reconsider Travel” advisory for Oman in an Aug.30 update, warning of risks from armed conflict and terrorism, including the threat of drone and missile attacks from Iran.

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