State Department Orders Non-Emergency US Govt Staff to Leave Saudi Arabia

U.S. citizens are warned of ongoing Iranian drone and missile threats in Saudi Arabia amid operations against Iran.

Vehicles drive along the King Fahad road, a principal transport artery that links the city's southern and northern districts, in the Saudi capital Riyadh on March 3, 2026. Fayez Nureldine/AFP via Getty Images

The U.S. State Department on March 8 ordered nonemergency U.S. government workers and their family members to leave Saudi Arabia, citing security risks arising from the conflict with Iran.

The U.S. embassy has raised the travel advisory for Saudi Arabia from Level 2 to Level 3, meaning that U.S. citizens should “reconsider travel” to the country amid potential Iranian attacks targeting U.S. interests, armed conflict, terrorism, exit bans, and local laws on social media use.