US Orders Non-Essential Personnel Back From Lebanon Embassy

The move comes at a moment of mounting tensions between Iran and the United States, as Iranian leaders have threatened a regional conflict if attacked.

Lebanese security stand guard on a road that leads to the U.S. Embassy in Aukar, a northern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, on June 5, 2024. Bilal Hussein/AP Photo

The U.S. State Department has ordered the withdrawal of non-essential personnel from the U.S. embassy in Lebanon amid heightened security concerns.

“We continuously assess the security environment, and based on our latest review, we determined it prudent to reduce our footprint to essential personnel,” a senior State Department official told The Epoch Times on Feb. 23.