Some U.S. 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, several sources familiar with the matter told CBS News.
A senior State Department official said the move was a temporary measure and applied 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, we have determined that it is prudent to reduce our footprint on essential personnel,” the official said.
The order affects around 50 embassy staff, a regional official said.
The move comes in the middle escalation of tensions between the United States and Iranwith the strengthening of American 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 planned to carry out a limited strike against Iran if the government did not agree to a deal.
Indirect talks between the United States and Iran are expected to take place in Geneva on Thursday, according to the foreign ministers of Iran and Oman. CBS News previously reported that the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency would also hold consultations. U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to represent the United States.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to visit Israel in the coming days, according to a State Department official, who added that Rubio’s agenda “remains subject to change.” Multiple sources familiar with the matter said Rubio had rescheduled his visit until early next week.
On Monday, an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson rejected the idea of continuing negotiations after any sort of military action, limited or otherwise.
“Is it logical that they attack us and that we continue to negotiate with them?” » said Esmail Baghaei.
