US troops and diplomats evacuated from Middle East as Trump 'considers major strikes'

US troops and diplomats evacuated from Middle East as Trump 'considers major strikes' American troops and diplomats have been removed from posts across the Middle East, with reports suggesting Donald Trump is planning major strikes against Iran. US troops have been evacuated from bases in the Middle East as reports suggest Trump is planning major strikes on Iran. The State Department is reducing its staff at diplomatic posts across the region, including in Saudi Arabia where Iran-backed Houthi rebels continue to launch attacks. A US official and two people familiar with the orders told NBC News that troops stationed at bases in Jordan, Qatar and Kuwait have been ordered to move in recent days. Sources claimed the move is part of the military's planning as Trump considers restarting major combat operations in Iran – potentially before next month's midterm elections. The State Department has also placed the US Embassy in Riyadh under "ordered departure," meaning only emergency personnel will remain on site. Announcing the decision on X on Wednesday, State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the Houthis had stepped up attacks against Saudi Arabia, including strikes on civilian airports and crucial infrastructure that had caused casualties and severe disruption. He added: "The safety and security of Department personnel and their families remain our highest priority, and we will continue to take all necessary steps to protect and support them." It comes after the Houthis fired missiles at the presidential palace in Yemen last week, killing four and wounding 10. In the days before, several attacks were carried out on Riyadh's King Khalid international airport in Saudi. Seventeen people lost their lives and 300 more were injured. The state department has reportedly been preparing to order diplomats to leave embassies across Gulf states, three US officials told Reuters. A spokesman said "non-emergency US government employees and their families" have been ordered to leave "Saudi Arabia only". Saudi Arabia has been a target of the Houthis due to its support for Yemen's government forces in the country's civil war. Conflict reignited in July after a 2022 truce collapsed following the outbreak of the US-Iran war in earlier this year. US and Israel carried out joint strikes on several key Iranian site in February. Iran retaliated by attacking US allies across the region, closing the Strait of Hormuz waterway and choking the global supply route. The Houthis used the conflict as an opportunity to seize stretches of the Red Sea coast last month, an alternative route to the Strait of Hormuz, ramping up fighting with Saudi Arabia. Washington returned some personnel to the region after some were removed when Tehran launched retaliatory attacks. However, security alerts swept across the Middle East on Sunday, warning US citizens that fighting with the Houthis could spread beyond the its current borders. Embassies in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and several other countries issued coordinated warnings, according to ABC News.