Americans in Middle East warned to ‘exercise heightened vigilance’ following strikes on Riyadh

The State Department on Saturday warned Americans in the Middle East to exercise caution, after the Iranian-backed Houthis launched an attack on the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh.

Citing “tensions” in the region, the State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs said the security environment in the Middle East “remains complex with the potential for unforeseen escalation.”

The bureau wrote on the social platform X , “Americans currently in the Middle East should exercise heightened vigilance and be aware of potential flight cancellations, airspace closures, and travel disruptions,” noting the Houthis’ attack on Riyadh.

The Houthis launched a ballistic missile toward the Saudi capital on Saturday, with some residents hearing an explosion and others seeing a plume of smoke near King Khalid International Airport, as reported by The Associated Press (AP).

The Houthis and Saudi Arabia have ramped up fighting in recent weeks, as the U.S.-Iran war approaches the seven-month mark.

Senior Houthi official Mohamed al-Bukhaiti told the AP on Sunday the Yemeni rebel group assured Trump administration officials it will not target American vessels in the Red Sea.

“We confirmed that we are not targeting the United States, or any other nation, in the strait, with the sole exception of the Saudi enemy,” al-Bukhaiti said.

President Trump considered joining Saudi Arabia in launching strikes against the Houthis over the weekend but decided against it Sunday, The New York Times reported.

The State Department’s consular affairs division noted Saturday the Houthi-Saudi conflict “has the potential to escalate rapidly” and urged Americans outside the Middle East to “seriously reconsider travel to and through” the region.

“Those who do travel to or from the region should monitor information about airport and airline operations. U.S. diplomatic facilities, including outside the Middle East, have been targeted,” the bureau added, noting the Islamic Republic and its proxy groups “may target other U.S. interests overseas.”