US withdraws Beirut embassy staff as Trump warns of ‘really bad things’ over Iran

US scales back Beirut embassy presence

The US State Department is withdrawing non-essential staff and eligible family members from the American embassy in Beirut, a senior official said on Monday, citing heightened concerns over the risk of a potential military confrontation with Iran.

"We continuously assess the security environment, and based on our latest review, we determined it prudent to reduce our footprint to essential personnel," said a senior State Department official, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

"The Embassy remains operational with core staff in place. This is a temporary measure intended to ensure the safety of our personnel while maintaining our ability to operate and assist U.S. citizens," the official said.

A source at the U.S. embassy said 50 people had been evacuated, while an official at Beirut airport said 32 embassy staff, along with family members, had flown out of Beirut airport on Monday.

The U.S. has built up its military presence in the Middle East, with President Donald Trump warning on Thursday that "really bad things will happen" if no deal is reached to solve a longstanding dispute over Tehran's nuclear programme.

U.S. interests were repeatedly targeted in Lebanon in the 1980s during the 1975-90 civil war, during which the U.S. held the Iran-backed Hezbollah responsible for attacks including the 1983 suicide bombing against the U.S. Marines headquarters in Beirut that killed 241 servicemen, and a 1983 suicide attack on the U.S. embassy in Beirut that killed 49 embassy staff.