WASHINGTON — The State Department late Tuesday confirmed that it has closed the U.S. Embassy in Yemen and evacuated its staff because of the political crisis and security concerns after the takeover of much of the country by Shiite rebels.
The department announced it had suspended operations at the embassy in Sana and relocated its remaining diplomatic personnel “due to the ongoing political instability and the uncertain security situation.” The embassy had been operating with only a skeleton staff for some weeks amid deteriorating conditions.
Yemen has been in crisis for months, with Iran-linked Shiite Houthi rebels besieging the capital and then taking control. Earlier Tuesday, U.S. officials said the embassy closure would not affect counterterrorism operations against al-Qaeda’s Yemen branch.
“The United States remains firmly committed to supporting all Yemenis who continue to work toward a peaceful, prosperous and unified Yemen,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said. “We will explore options for a return to Sana when the situation on the ground improves.”
The State Department also issued a travel warning advising U.S. citizens to defer travel to Yemen and urging U.S. citizens currently in Yemen to depart.
Two U.S. officials said Marines providing the security at the embassy also will probably leave, but American forces conducting counterterrorism missions against al-Qaeda’s Yemen affiliate in other parts of the country would not be affected. The U.S. officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the closure publicly.
The embassy closure will also complicate the CIA’s operations in Yemen, U.S. intelligence officials acknowledge. Although CIA officers could continue to work out of U.S. military installations, many intelligence operations are run from embassies. The CIA’s main role in Yemen is to gather intelligence about members of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and occasionally kill them with drone strikes.
