U.S. Orders Departure of Non-Essential Staff in Beirut Embassy

(MENAFN) The U.S. State Department directed non-emergency American personnel to leave the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, on Monday, as regional tensions in the Middle East reached an elevated pitch.

"The Department of State has ordered the departure of non-emergency U.S. government personnel and eligible family members from U.S. Embassy Beirut," the State Department said in a statement, giving no reasons.

The department offered no specific explanation for the timing, but framed the decision as a precautionary security measure. "We continuously assess the security environment, and based on our latest review, we determined it prudent to reduce our footprint to essential personnel," said the statement.

Officials stressed the move is not permanent — the embassy will continue operating with a core team of essential staff in place.

The evacuation order arrives against a backdrop of escalating diplomatic and military brinkmanship between Washington and Tehran. A fresh round of U.S.-Iran negotiations is set for Thursday in Geneva, centered on Iran's nuclear ambitions — specifically uranium enrichment thresholds and the prospect of sanctions relief. Yet optimism remains guarded; the two preceding rounds of indirect dialogue yielded little discernible progress.

Adding further urgency to the situation, President Donald Trump disclosed Friday that he is actively weighing a limited military strike against Iran — a statement that has significantly heightened alarm across the region.

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