The State Department is preparing to return diplomats to U.S. embassies across the Middle East that were evacuated before and during the war with Iran, with the process potentially beginning as early as this week, according to an internal document and three U.S. officials cited by The New York Times.
The U.S. Embassy in Beirut is expected to be the first to receive returning personnel. Under the plan, embassies in Israel, Jordan and Oman will return to full staffing, while missions in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Lebanon will operate at 85% capacity. Embassies in Iraq, Kuwait and Bahrain will operate at 75%.
The State Department will also maintain restrictions on family members accompanying diplomats to the six Gulf states and Lebanon.
The evacuations began in late February, one day before the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran, as American facilities across the Gulf came under drone and rocket attacks.
Former U.S. officials said the decision to redeploy personnel signals that Washington believes the conflict is cooling and that another major round of fighting is not imminent, despite continued tensions and stalled negotiations over extending the ceasefire that expired last week.
However, the continued restrictions on diplomats’ family members indicate that Washington still views the security threat as significantly higher than before the war. Officials also cautioned that the restaffing does not rule out future U.S. military action.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
