By MATTHEW LEE
WASHINGTON (AP) — A State Department official says the U.S. has ordered nonessential diplomats and family members to leave Lebanon 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 U.S. Embassy’s footprint so that only essential personnel remained at their posts.
The official, who spoke on 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 Monday.