U.S. urges citizens to reconsider travel to Saudi Arabia over Yemen conflict

The United States has revised its travel warning for Saudi Arabia, raising it to Level 3 — “reconsider travel” — due to the escalated Saudi Arabia–Yemen conflict, the State Department’s official international travel site announced Wednesday.

The warning cites the risk of targeting by Iranian drones and missiles of American interests, armed conflict, terrorism, exit bans from the country and local laws that restrict activity on social networks. According to the announcement, some areas of the kingdom have increased risk.

For neighboring Yemen, the Level 4 warning — “do not travel” — remains in force, the highest alert level of the State Department.

The decision comes at a time when the conflict between Iran-backed Houthis and Saudi Arabia has escalated significantly: missile and drone attacks on Saudi cities have wounded dozens of civilians, while the Houthis have taken control of most of Yemen’s western Red Sea coast, threatening the strategic Bab al-Mandeb strait.

Saudi Arabia is the main U.S. ally in the region and hosts a large presence of American citizens and interests, while the U.S.–Iran war has entered its seventh month with rising costs and no signs of a ceasefire.

Source: Al Jazeera