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US diplomats, family members begin returning to Mideast embassies
AP News • • world
Key Points:
- American diplomats and some family members are beginning to return to U.S. embassies in the Middle East after being ordered to leave early in the Iran war, with staffing restrictions starting to lift this week.
- The changes are driven by human resources policies limiting how long diplomats can be away from post while maintaining pay and benefits, rather than a shift in U.S. policy toward Iran.
- Embassies in Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Israel, and Lebanon have started allowing family members to return, with some age restrictions applying in certain countries.
- The State Department introduced a new "restricted operations" status to enable embassies to resume normal functions while managing staffing and family presence on a case-by-case basis.
- Additional embassies in the region that had staff departures are expected to see similar status changes soon, with the department emphasizing ongoing support for its workforce and families.
