Dozens of U.S. Embassy Staff Leave Lebanon in Precautionary Move

The U.S. Embassy in Lebanon evacuated dozens of staff members on Monday as a precaution in response to anticipated regional developments.

“The Department of State has ordered the departure of non-emergency U.S. government personnel and eligible family members from U.S. Embassy Beirut,” the U.S. State Department said in a statement.

"We continuously assess the security environment, and based on our latest review, we determined it prudent to reduce our footprint to essential personnel. 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 statement continued.

"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 in Beirut told Reuters that 50 people had been evacuated. However, an official at Beirut’s international airport said 32 embassy employees, along with their family members, departed the country on Monday.