US Orders Some Diplomatic Staff to Leave Saudi Arabia as Iran Announces Offensive Doctrine
The United States has ordered some of its diplomatic personnel to leave Saudi Arabia amid attacks from Yemen's Houthis, Al Jazeera reported on October 22, 2026. The same day, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), an elite branch of Iran's armed forces, announced a sharper military stance toward its neighbours and the United States.
The departure order was first reported on October 21. Reuters said the United States ordered non-emergency government employees and their family members to leave Saudi Arabia, and that the order applied to several American missions in the country. An "ordered departure" is a step the State Department takes to pull out staff who are not needed for emergency work, along with their families. The State Department's Saudi Arabia travel advisory refers to a security alert from the U.S. Mission to Saudi Arabia dated October 21, 2026. The advisory also warns that travellers could face detention or deportation, a ban on returning to the country, or an exit ban that stops them from leaving.
The IRGC's new posture was set out by its spokesman, Hossein Mohebi. He said Iran's defence doctrine had moved away from defensive retaliation, toward both responding to attacks and launching an offensive if Iran is attacked. The IRGC described the new approach as "offensive and asymmetrical" and warned that renewed attacks by the United States could prompt Tehran to invade neighbouring countries and strike bases used in American military operations. Mohebi also said Iran's missile stockpile had grown 1.5 times since the 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June 2025, and that Iranian forces were preparing to unveil what he called the "father of all bombs."
The IRGC navy also reported maritime incidents. It said four vessels it accused of illegal oil transfers were struck and caught fire in the northern Gulf, and that three other vessels had hit mines west of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway linking the Gulf to the open sea. Before the war, about one-fifth of the world's oil and natural gas supplies passed through that strait. Brent crude, the international benchmark for oil prices, climbed above $110 a barrel on October 22, amid fears of further disruption to energy supplies in the region.
Hostilities between the United States and Iran began on February 28, 2026. Separately, the State Department's travel advisories for Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan and Qatar all refer to security alerts issued in mid-October, and its advisory for Iraq tells Americans not to travel there for any reason.
