(CNN) The American and British embassies in Yemen suspended operations and moved staffers out Wednesday, and urged their citizens to leave the politically-unstable nation as well.

The U.S. Embassy had already been operating on a skeletal staff since late January.

The French embassy also said it would close its doors starting Friday due to the security situation.

The troubled Middle Eastern nation has been without clear leadership and potentially on the brink of armed conflict since Houthi rebels seized control of key government facilities, dissolved parliament, and placed the President under house arrest.

President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi later resigned in protest.

Photos: Unrest in Yemen Photos: Unrest in Yemen The sky over Sanaa, Yemen, is illuminated by anti-aircraft fire during a Saudi-led airstrike on Friday, April 17. The coalition's warplanes have been carrying out strikes against Houthi rebels since President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi fled the country in late March. Hide Caption 1 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen A Yemeni boy holds a rifle as Houthi supporters attend a rally in Sanaa, Yemen, on Sunday, April 5, protesting airstrikes carried out by a Saudi-led coalition against Houthi rebels. Hide Caption 2 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen Yemenis dig graves on Saturday, April 4, to bury the victims of a reported airstrike by the Saudi-led coalition in the village of Bani Matar, Yemen. Hide Caption 3 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen Yemenis search for survivors in the rubble of houses destroyed by Saudi-led airstrikes on April 4 in a village near Sanaa. Hide Caption 4 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen Central Sanaa is covered in dust on Friday, April 3. Airstrikes have turned the bustling capital of Yemen into a ghost town. Hide Caption 5 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen A Yemeni man loads a TV set into a van as he prepares to flee Sanaa on Thursday, April 2. Hide Caption 6 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen Militiamen loyal to Hadi take positions on a street in Aden, Yemen, on Thursday, April 2. Houthi rebels seized the presidential palace in Aden, a neutral security official and two Houthi commanders in Aden told CNN. The Houthis are Shiite Muslims who have long felt marginalized in the majority Sunni country. The Sunni Saudis consider the Houthis proxies for the Shiite government of Iran and fear another Shiite-dominated state in the region. Hide Caption 7 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen A framed photo and a purse hang on the wall of a house destroyed by an airstrike near the Sanaa airport on Tuesday, March 31. Hide Caption 8 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen Buildings burn at the Jabal al-Hadid military camp in Aden on Saturday, March 28. Yemeni military officials said an explosion rocked the camp that houses a weapons depot, killing and wounding several people. The camp reportedly had been taken by security forces loyal to former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Some of the forces aligned with the Houthis are also loyal to Saleh, who resigned in 2012 after months of Arab Spring protests. Hide Caption 9 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen Yemeni supporters of the Houthi movement attend a demonstration against Saudi military operations Thursday, March 26, in Sanaa. Hide Caption 10 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen People search for survivors under the rubble of houses destroyed by airstrikes near the Sanaa Airport on March 26. Hide Caption 11 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen Members of Yemen's General People's Committee deploy in Aden, Yemen, on Wednesday, March 25. The militiamen are loyal to Hadi. Hide Caption 12 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen On March 25, honor guards in Sanaa carry the coffins of victims who were killed in suicide bombing attacks several days earlier. Deadly explosions in Sanaa rocked two mosques serving the Zaidi sect of Shiite Islam, which is followed by the Houthi rebels that took over the capital city in January. Hide Caption 13 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen Yemenis stand in front of burning tires during an anti-Houthi protest in Taiz, Yemen, on Tuesday, March 24. Hide Caption 14 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen Medics treat an anti-Houthi protester who was injured during clashes with pro-Houthi police in Taiz on March 24. Hide Caption 15 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen Armed men inspect damage after an explosion at the Al Badr mosque in Sanaa on Friday, March 20. Hide Caption 16 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen A man in Aden holds a police shield that he looted from a base belonging to forces loyal to Saleh on Thursday, March 19. Hide Caption 17 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen Houthi supporters in Sanaa deploy giant national flags Wednesday, March 18, during a demonstration to mark the fourth anniversary of the "Friday of Dignity" attack. In 2011, forces loyal to Saleh opened fire on protesters who had gathered in Sanaa to demand the ouster of Saleh and his regime. Hide Caption 18 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen Supporters of Ahmed Ali Abdullah Saleh, the son of the former President, wave banners and shout slogans during a demonstration in Sanaa on Tuesday, March 10. The demonstrators were demanding presidential elections be held and that the younger Saleh run for office. Hide Caption 19 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen A child raises his fist during a rally by Houthi supporters in Sanaa on Friday, March 6. Hide Caption 20 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen Thousands of armed Yemeni tribal members gather in the southern province of Shabwa on Monday, February 23. Hide Caption 21 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen Supporters of the separatist Southern Movement perform prayers during a demonstration in Aden on Friday, February 13. Hide Caption 22 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen Houthi fighters guard the gate of the presidential palace where a bomb went off and wounded three people in Sanaa on Saturday, February 7. Hide Caption 23 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen Yemeni soldiers guard the presidential palace in Sanaa on Friday, February 6. Hide Caption 24 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen Members of the Houthi movement and their allies attend a meeting in the Yemeni capital on Sunday, February 1. Hide Caption 25 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen Supporters of the separatist Southern Movement flash the victory sign after they seized police security checkpoints on Saturday, January 24, in Ataq, the capital of the Shabwa province in Yemen. Policemen were told to give up their weapons and return to their bases before the militiamen raised flags of the formerly independent South Yemen at the checkpoints. Hide Caption 26 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen Houthi rebels fight with Yemeni protesters during a rally in Sanaa on January 24. Thousands of Yemenis took to the streets of Sanaa in the largest demonstration against Houthis since the Shiite militiamen overran the capital in September. Hide Caption 27 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen On Friday, January 23, Houthis carry coffins of those killed during recent clashes with presidential guard forces in Sanaa. Hide Caption 28 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen A Houthi militiaman sits near a tank near the presidential palace in Sanaa on Thursday, January 22. Hide Caption 29 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen Houthi men wearing army uniforms stand guard on a street leading to the presidential palace in Sanaa on Wednesday, January 21. Hide Caption 30 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen A wounded man rests at a hospital in Sanaa on January 21. He was reportedly injured in fierce clashes the previous day. Hide Caption 31 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen A tank is stationed in front of the Sanaa house of President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi on January 21. Hide Caption 32 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen A Houthi rebel mans a checkpoint near the presidential palace on January 21. Hide Caption 33 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen A man walks inside a heavily damaged house near the presidential palace on Tuesday, January 20. Hide Caption 34 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen A woman walks past closed shops in Sanaa on January 20. Hide Caption 35 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen An armed member of the Houthi movement stands guard in the streets of Sanaa on January 20. Hide Caption 36 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen A man surveys his damaged home in Sanaa on January 20. Hide Caption 37 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen Houthis inspect a damaged mosque in Sanaa on January 20. Hide Caption 38 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen Houthi men raise their weapons during clashes near the presidential palace on Monday, January 19. Hide Caption 39 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen Smoke and flames rise in Sanaa during heavy clashes between presidential guards and Houthi rebels on January 19. Hide Caption 40 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen Tribal soldiers protecting the city from Houthi rebels stand guard at the city borders in Marib, Yemen, on January 19. Hide Caption 41 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen Houthi men guard a Sanaa street on January 19. Hide Caption 42 of 42

"The level of instability and ongoing threats in Yemen remain extremely concerning," said a U.S. State Department travel warning issued Wednesday.

The warning said an "ongoing risk of kidnapping" exists, and the U.S. government is worried about possible terrorist attacks on Americans and Western facilities.

Due to uncertain security situation in Yemen, we have suspended our embassy operations; embassy staff have been relocated out of Sana'a. — Department of State (@StateDept) February 11, 2015

However, there are no plans for a U.S. government-sponsored evacuation of American citizens at this time, the State Department said.

"U.S. government-facilitated evacuations occur only when no safe commercial alternatives exist," it said.

Similar messages

The message from the British Foreign Office was similar. The security situation continues to deteriorate, it said, and "we now judge that our Embassy staff and premises are at increased risk."

It too asked British nationals to leave immediately.

The French Foreign Ministry issued a statement to its citizens in Yemen.

"Given the recent political developments, and for security reasons, the Embassy invites you to temporarily leave Yemen, as soon as possible, via commercial flights at your convenience," the statement said. "The Embassy will temporarily be closed as of Friday, February 13, 2015, until further notice."

Counterterrorism

It wasn't immediately clear how the embassy closures will affect the work of United States and its allies work in combating Isliamist groups in the country, but the Pentagon says the U.S. military remains active in Yemen.

"They are still capable of conducting counterterrorism operations in Yeman and frankly ... there's some counterterrorism training that's still ongoing ... with Yemeni security forces," said Pentagon spokesman Rear Adm. John Kirby.

"I'd be less than honest if I said that there hadn't been some adjustments already made because of the political uncertainty," he said. "We're just going to have to watch this closely going forward."

Yemen's government has been a key ally in the fight against al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the Yemen-based group linked to attacks such as the recent slaughter at French magazine Charlie Hebdo.

"They are a very dangerous group," said Kirby. "They do want to threaten Western interests, including U.S. interests and we do consider them a threat to the United States of America. We're watching them very closely."

Political vacuum

Late last month, Meda Al Rowas, a senior analyst at IHS Country Risk, told CNN that unless Hadi is reinstated, the chances of the country avoiding armed conflict are slim.

"Our forecast is really civil war in Yemen because we have a lot of nonstate armed groups who are likely to compete over territory and have a lot of competing agendas," she said.

The Houthis -- Shiite Muslims who have long felt marginalized in the majority Sunni country -- have taken control of Sanaa and the northern provinces of Amran and Sadaa.

But there has already been resistance to their attempted takeover of national government institutions from different groups in Yemen, particularly in the south, where there's a long-running secessionist movement, and in the oil-rich province of Marib to the east of Sanaa.

There are currently no talks with the Houthis, but there are discussions about whether to talk to them, U.S. officials said last month.