Some US Embassy staff in Beirut ordered to leave amid escalating regional tensions

The State Department has ordered some staff at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut to begin leaving Lebanon, multiple sources familiar with the matter told News themezone.

A senior State Department official said the move is a temporary measure and applies to non-emergency U.S. government personnel and eligible family members. The embassy is still operational and core staff remain in place, the official said.

“We continually evaluate the security environment and, based on our latest review, determined that it is prudent to reduce our footprint to essential personnel,” the official said.

The order affects about 50 embassy staff, a regional official said.

The measurement occurs in the middle Escalation of tensions between the United States and Iran.with the accumulation of US military assets in the region.

The Iranian proxy group Hezbollah is a militia and political party in Lebanon.

President Trump said last week that he was considering a limited strike against Iran if the administration did not agree to a deal. Indirect talks between the United States and Iran will begin on Thursday in Switzerland.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to travel to Israel in the coming days, according to a State Department official, who added that Rubio’s schedule “remains subject to change.” Multiple sources familiar with the matter said Rubio rescheduled his visit for early next week.

On Monday, a spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry rejected the idea that negotiations would continue after any kind of military action, limited or not.

“Does it make sense for them to attack us and we continue to negotiate with them?” Esmail Baghaei said.