The United States evacuated non-essential staff and families from US Embassy Beirut amid rising tensions and military buildup, as President Donald Trump warns Iran over its nuclear programme.
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The United States has evacuated dozens of non-essential personnel and eligible family members from its embassy in Beirut as regional tensions escalate and fears of a potential military confrontation with Iran mount.
“The Department of State has ordered the departure of non-emergency U.S. government personnel and eligible family members from US Embassy Beirut,” the State Department said, adding, “We continuously assess the security environment, and based on our latest review, we determined it prudent to reduce our footprint to essential personnel. 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.”
News agency Reuters quoted a source at the embassy saying around 50 people were evacuated, while an airport official put the number of departing staff and family members at 32.
The move comes against the backdrop of a major US military build-up in the Middle East and warnings from President Donald Trump that “really bad things will happen” if Iran does not agree to a deal on its nuclear programme within 10–15 days.
“The Department of State has ordered the departure of non-emergency U.S. government personnel and eligible family members from US Embassy Beirut,” the State Department said, adding, “We continuously assess the security environment, and based on our latest review, we determined it prudent to reduce our footprint to essential personnel. 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.”
News agency Reuters quoted a source at the embassy saying around 50 people were evacuated, while an airport official put the number of departing staff and family members at 32.
The move comes against the backdrop of a major US military build-up in the Middle East and warnings from President Donald Trump that “really bad things will happen” if Iran does not agree to a deal on its nuclear programme within 10–15 days.
