The United States has ordered the departure of nonessential diplomatic staff and family members from Lebanon, citing rising regional tensions linked to military strikes threat in Iran, according to a State Department official, quoted by Associated Press.
The official said the decision followed an ongoing review of the security situation and was taken as a precautionary step. The drawdown will reduce the US Embassy’s presence to essential personnel only, while keeping operations running.
Speaking on condition of anonymity to AP, as there's no formal announcement, the official described the move as temporary and emphasised that the embassy remained operational on Monday.
A second State Department official, also speaking anonymly to discuss plans that had not been formally announced, said that Secretary of State Marco Rubio may postpone his planned visit to Israel this weekend.
This comes as thousands of people across Iran reportedly received anonymous text messages on Monday warning of potential US action, according to Iran International, which cited Iranian state media.
The messages surfaced against the backdrop of escalating tensions between Tehran and US President Donald Trump. Recent weeks have seen sharper rhetoric from Washington alongside an increased deployment of American military assets in the Middle East, raising speculation about possible military measures. In a post on X, Iran International said, "Iranian state media reported that an anonymous text message was sent to people across the country on Monday saying: 'The US president is a man of action. Wait and see.'"
Trump has reportedly weighed the possibility of a limited military strike against Iran, even as another round of negotiations between the two sides is set to take place in Geneva on Thursday.
According to reports by Reuters and The Wall Street Journal, potential military responses under discussion could vary from narrowly focused actions targeting key regime figures to a wider campaign if Tehran rejects Washington's demands.
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