The U.S. Has Begun Evacuating Non-Essential Staff From Its Embassy in Lebanon

The reduction in diplomatic personnel followed reports of Americans being flown out via Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport. The measure is intended to protect staff in the event of an Iranian retaliatory strike should the confrontation between the US and Iran escalate into an open phase. Estimates suggest that between 30 and 50 embassy employees have left the country.

At the same time, the US and Iran are preparing for a third round of indirect talks, scheduled to take place in Geneva on Thursday, focusing on limits to Iran’s nuclear programme. Donald Trump has previously said he expects a “substantive agreement” capable of preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, and warned of “bad consequences” should the negotiations fail.

Washington has previously resorted to evacuating staff from diplomatic missions and military bases as part of preparations for possible hostilities against Iran. In 2025, the US temporarily withdrew non-essential personnel from embassies in Iraq, Bahrain, and Kuwait ahead of strikes on uranium enrichment facilities and other elements of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.

“The State Department has ordered the departure of non-emergency US government personnel and eligible family members from the US Embassy in Beirut,” a senior department official said on Monday. “We continuously assess the security environment and, based on our latest review, determined it was prudent to reduce our presence to the necessary minimum.”

At the same time, the statement stressed that the embassy continues to operate normally, with key staff remaining on site. “This is a temporary measure aimed at ensuring the safety of personnel while preserving our ability to carry out our functions and provide assistance to US citizens,” the department said.

US officials warn that, in the event of escalation, Iran could respond with missile strikes against American embassies and military bases or authorise asymmetric attacks carried out by forces under its influence across the region. US diplomatic facilities are seen as likely targets for pro-Iranian groups, including Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Last week, Iran conducted joint military exercises with Russia, during which it tested new anti-ship missiles. In theory, these could be used to block the Strait of Hormuz—one of the world’s most critical trade routes.

Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy and chief negotiator with Iran, said on Saturday that the president does not understand why Tehran has yet to “capitulate” in talks over its nuclear programme.

“I don’t want to use the word ‘frustrated,’ because he understands that he has many alternatives, but he is genuinely puzzled as to why they have not yet capitulated,” Witkoff said in an interview with Lara Trump, the president’s daughter-in-law, aired on Fox News.

He continued: “Why, under this level of pressure—with the concentration of naval forces and the scale of the maritime presence—have they not come to us and said, ‘We declare that we do not want a weapon, and here is what we are prepared to do’? Getting them to that point, however, has proven extremely difficult.”

At the same time, the US has begun withdrawing part of its military contingent from bases in Syria, Reuters reports, citing local sources. The move is seen as an additional reduction of personnel along another potential axis of an Iranian retaliatory strike. The Trump administration, however, denies any link between these actions and a possible strike on Iran.

Two aircraft carriers, dozens of combat aircraft, surface vessels, and specialised aviation—including AWACS early-warning planes—have already been deployed to the region. This marks the largest build-up of US military power since the period preceding the war in Iraq. The second carrier, USS Gerald Ford, is expected to take up position in the coming days—the ship has already arrived at Souda Bay off the coast of Crete, home to a major US naval facility.