US Evacuates Staff from Saudi Arabia Amid Houthi Attacks; UAE Minister Nusseibeh Joins UN Secretary General Race; Middle East Oil Exports Rebound

The United States has directed non-essential diplomatic personnel and their families to depart from Saudi Arabia due to escalating Houthi assaults on the kingdom. This decision follows a recent strike on Dammam airport that resulted in one fatality and eight injuries. In parallel, UAE Minister of State Lana Nusseibeh has announced her candidacy for the position of UN secretary general. Her entry into the race occurs at a time of division within the Security Council regarding the successor to Antonio Guterres, whose second term concludes in December. Meanwhile, oil exports from the non-Iran Middle East have returned to pre-war levels, notwithstanding ongoing attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Separately, experts suggest that France's agreement to purchase diesel from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain will not immediately lower prices, though it may alleviate fuel shortages. European diesel prices have more than doubled since the beginning of the year. In the West Bank, a candidate for the upcoming US midterm elections experienced a brief detention by Israeli troops while participating in a Palestinian olive harvest.