Washington, DC: Americans have been warned against travelling to Saudi Arabia by the US government even as attacks by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels continue.
The US has raised the country’s travel advisory to Level 3, citing risks linked to armed conflict, terrorism and possible Iranian drone and missile attacks targeting US interests.
The updated advisory was issued by the US state department on September 15. The department also warned that some parts of the kingdom face greater security risks, as reported by News18.
Washington cited several factors for the advisory, including the possibility of Iranian missile and drone strikes, armed conflict, terrorism, exit bans and Saudi laws governing social media activity.
The warning comes as Saudi Arabia faces a series of attacks and attempted attacks from the Houthis. On Tuesday, Saudi authorities issued security alerts for several locations, including Mecca, Jeddah and Taif, although the alerts were subsequently lifted after authorities said the immediate danger had passed.
On Wednesday, Saudi air defences intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca before it could enter the holy city’s prohibited airspace, according to the Saudi-led coalition fighting the rebels.
The security of Mecca and Islam’s holy sites was a “red line”, coalition spokesperson Turki al-Maliki said.
The Houthis, however, have denied targeting Mecca. The latest incident follows a series of attacks attributed to the group against Saudi targets, including a strike on a Saudi air base that injured 13 civilians, according to Saudi-led coalition officials.
Washington has gone a step further regarding the travel of US citizens in certain parts of the kingdom. The US advisory carries a Level 4 “Do Not Travel” warning for areas along Saudi Arabia’s border with Yemen because of the threat of terrorism.
US government employees face additional travel restrictions in areas including those near the Yemen border, Qatif and several provinces, Washington has said.
The warning comes against the backdrop of the wider Middle East conflict, which has also disrupted commercial aviation and energy routes in the region. The US government says commercial flights from Saudi Arabia remain operational, but have faced significant disruptions at times.
Saudi Arabia has been fighting the Houthis as part of a Saudi-led coalition since 2015. The conflict had largely eased following a ceasefire, but fighting has intensified again amid the broader regional escalation.
