U.S. Military Cuts Middle East Footprint as 1 Dies in Saudi Airport Attack
Updated
Updated · CBS New York · Oct 22
U.S. Military Cuts Middle East Footprint as 1 Dies in Saudi Airport Attack
3 articles · Updated · CBS New York · Oct 22
Summary
U.S. forces have quietly reduced their footprint at Middle East posts, with officials citing persistent threats from Iran-backed Houthis and direct warnings from Iran.
Saudi Arabia underscored the risk Wednesday when an attack on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam killed 1 person and injured 8, after repeated recent strikes on Saudi airports.
Washington has also ordered non-emergency U.S. personnel and families to leave Saudi Arabia, while several regional embassies shifted to restricted operations that allow staffing cuts without full closure.
Iran simultaneously kept indirect talks with the U.S. alive over a 7-day ceasefire proposal, even as a Revolutionary Guard official threatened undersea internet cables in the Strait of Hormuz if U.S. strikes resume.
The drawdown highlights a widening regional spillover from the nearly 8-month Iran war, with oil near five-month highs and civilian infrastructure increasingly in the crosshairs.