US updates Saudi Arabia travel advisory for Americans visiting the country

The United States has called on Americans to exercise "increasing caution" while traveling to Saudi Arabia.

The United States has called on Americans to exercise "increasing caution" while traveling to Saudi Arabia after recent drone attacks on Aramco facilities, according to a state department statement posted on its website on Wednesday.

The statement also asked US Mission personnel and their families to not use the airport in Abha, which has been frequently attacked by drones and missiles launched from Yemen, without the approval of Chief of Mission.

Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for last Saturday's drone attacks on Aramco facilities, which halved output from Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest crude producer and a close ally of Washington. The Houthis are at war with Saudi-backed military coalition in Yemen, turning the impoverished nation into a proxy battlefield for bitter regional rivals Tehran and Riyadh.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated shortly.