The US instructed non-emergency personnel to depart its embassy in Beirut on Monday, scaling back its diplomatic presence as tension rises between Washington and Tehran.
“The embassy remains operational with core staff in place,” a senior State Department official said. “We continuously assess the security environment and based on our latest review we determined it prudent to reduce our footprint to essential personnel.”
The move comes amid concern that Lebanon could again become a flashpoint in a wider regional conflict.
In a post on social media, the State Department warned American citizens not to travel to Lebanon, citing “crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, unexploded landmines, and the risk of armed conflict”.
“Terrorist groups continue plotting possible attacks in Lebanon,” the department said, noting that incidents could occur with little or no warning and may target tourist sites, transport hubs, markets, shopping malls and government facilities.
It comes after weeks of US warnings about potential strikes on Iran. President Donald Trump has repeatedly raised the possibility of military action, first during Iran’s crackdown on nationwide protests and more recently as Washington and Tehran returned to negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme.
Mr Trump said last week that “really bad things will happen” if diplomacy fails.
Iran and the US are expected to hold a third round of nuclear talks on Thursday in Geneva, Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Al Busaidi said on Sunday.
Iranian officials have warned they would target US military bases in the region if Tehran is attacked.
Lebanon is seen as a potential secondary front in any confrontation with Tehran, given the presence of Hezbollah, the Iran-aligned armed group and Lebanese political party.
Hezbollah signalled continued confrontation at the weekend, vowing “resistance” after an Israeli strike killed several of its fighters, highlighting the risk of localised clashes spiralling into a wider conflict.
Israel has stepped up its strikes in Lebanon in recent weeks, with a wave of attacks on Friday killing at least 12 people.
At the same time, Israel has been blocking reconstruction efforts in border towns, preventing tens of thousands of displaced residents from returning to their homes.
Former US deputy assistant secretary for intelligence, Matthew Levitt told The National that Israeli officials are particularly concerned that this time Hezbollah could launch rockets at Israel if tensions escalate.
As a result, he said, Israel has accelerated its air strikes in Lebanon, targeting "launching facilities and commanding control facilities" in an effort to pre-empt potential attacks.
