US evacuates staff from Lebanon embassy amid tensions with Iran
The Guardian • • nation
Key Points:
- The US has evacuated 30-50 non-essential personnel from its embassy in Lebanon amid heightened tensions with Iran and potential military action, maintaining only core staff to ensure embassy operations continue.
- This diplomatic drawdown follows the positioning of US warships and warplanes in the region, including two aircraft carriers and advanced military assets, marking the largest US military buildup there since before the Iraq war.
- The US and Iran are set to hold indirect talks in Geneva on limiting Iran’s nuclear program, but US officials have expressed frustration over Iran’s reluctance to make concessions despite significant military pressure.
- US officials warn that Iran or its proxies, such as Hezbollah, could retaliate with missile strikes or asymmetrical attacks on US embassies and
