Britain shut down its embassy in Sana’a Wednesday, while French authorities advised citizens at the embassy in Yemen to leave as quickly as possible — the latest in the response to growing violence in the region.
The United States directed workers a day earlier to leave its embassy in Sana’a.
France announced plans to close its facility on Friday, until further notice, due to “recent political developments and security reasons,” The New York Times reported.
The Foreign Ministry said in a statement: “As soon as the Americans do something like this, all the other Western embassies follow them. The closure does not necessarily mean the security situation is bad, but it could mean the foreign missions want to exercise or put more pressure on the Houthis.”
Staffers with the German Embassy, meanwhile, said the building was closed on Wednesday — though an official order to leave hasn’t yet been issued.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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