America just restricted its own staff across Saudi Arabia's airports and border with Yemen

America just told its own staff to stay away from Saudi Arabia's airports.

The US embassy in Saudi Arabia says government employees now need special permission before they can use the airports in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam.

That warning went out a day ago.

It came right after a missile attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh killed 12 people and wounded more than 300.

A few hours ago, the embassy updated the warning. Jeddah and Dammam got added to the list.

So now three of Saudi Arabia's biggest airports are off-limits to US government staff without sign-off.

The embassy is also telling ordinary American citizens something simple: stay away from King Khalid airport and the area around it.

And expect disruption. Flight cancellations. Airspace closures. Check your flight status directly with the airline and the airport.

But here's the part that goes further than the airports.

US government staff in Saudi Arabia cannot travel within 20 miles of the Yemen border at all.

They also need special permission to go to Jizan, Asir and Najran provinces. And to the cities of Qatif, Yanbu and Taif.

So that's most of the south and west of the country, plus three major airports, now locked behind a permission slip.

Now here's what led to this.

This was not one attack. It was the fourth in a week.

Two women were killed at Abha airport. A Sudanese man was killed at King Khalid airport. Three more people died at the same airport, including a Saudia pilot named as Captain Hamoud Ali AlKalthami.

All of that happened in the three to five days before this strike.

And that strike wasn't even the end of it. Hours after the attack on Riyadh, a projectile landed near King Fahd International Airport in Dammam. A drone aimed at the eastern region got shot down. A Houthi ballistic missile was intercepted over Al-Kharj governorate.

One of the 12 people killed was American.