U.S. embassy in Beirut draws down staff
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio's scheduled visit Israel was pushed from Saturday to Monday, with the further caveat that the itinerary may be adjusted based on developments
The U.S. State Department issued on Monday an evacuation order for non-essential personnel and their families from the U.S. Embassy in Beirut.
“The Department of State has ordered the departure of non-emergency US government personnel and eligible family members from U.S. Embassy Beirut,” an official press release said.
“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 U.S. citizens,” the statement read.
The decision was adopted in light of security concerns and escalating regional tensions, with the Lebanese terror group Hezbollah said likely to join Iran's attacks on Israel in case the U.S. strikes the Islamic Republic.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio's scheduled visit Israel was pushed from Saturday to Monday, with the further caveat that the itinerary may be adjusted based on developments, a State Department official told the press.