US orders non-emergency personnel to leave Beirut embassy amid tensions | Politics News

US official says Washington decided it was ‘prudent to scale back our footprint to important personnel’ in Lebanon.

The United States has ordered the departure of non-emergency personnel at its embassy in Beirut with their members of the family, a senior State Department official has confirmed, amid escalating tensions within the area.

The transfer on Monday comes because the US continues to amass navy property within the Middle East, with President Donald Trump threatening to assault Iran nearly every day.

“We continuously assess the security environment, and based on our latest review, we determined it prudent to reduce our footprint to essential personnel,” the US official instructed Al Jazeera.

“The Embassy remains operational with core staff in place. This is a temporary measure intended to ensure the safety of our personnel while maintaining our ability to operate and assist US citizens.”

Hezbollah, which has been weakened by Israel’s 2024 assault on Lebanon, has not dominated out interfering militarily in assist of Iran ought to a battle get away.

During the Lebanese Civil War in 1983, a automotive bombing assault focused the US embassy in Beirut, killing dozens of individuals, together with 17 Americans.

Later the identical yr, an infinite suicide bombing killed 241 US service members on the Marine Corps barracks after US troops deployed to Beirut.

The US embassy in Lebanon – one of many largest diplomatic missions on this planet – is now housed in a fortified campus on a hilltop within the northern Beirut suburb of Aaoukar.