U.S. Orders Staff Out of Saudi Arabia as Iran Rules Out Ceasefire and War Deepens Across Middle East

The U.S. On Monday, ordered non-emergency government employees to leave Saudi Arabia, citing heightened risks from armed conflict, terrorism, and missile and drone attacks from Yemen and Iran, which was the first such departure order since the war began. Iran ruled out an immediate ceasefire, while Israel launched a new wave of strikes targeting infrastructure in central Iran. Iran named Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late supreme leader, as the country's new leader, with Russia pledging "unwavering support" for Tehran. Former CIA director David Petraeus called the leadership choice "unfortunate," describing Mojtaba as a hardline continuation of his father. G7 finance ministers are set to discuss a joint emergency oil reserve release, while Australia is reviewing Gulf nations' requests for defensive military support.