US orders non-essential embassy staff to leave Lebanon

25-Feb-2026

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The United States has ordered non-essential diplomats and their family members to leave Lebanon, a State Department official said on February 23, as tensions over Iran rise with the threat of a potentially imminent military strike.

The official said a continuous assessment of the regional security environment determined it was “prudent” to draw down the US Embassy’s footprint so that only essential personnel remained at their posts.

The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the move had not yet been formally announced, said that it is a temporary measure and that the embassy remained operational on February 23.