The US embassy in Lebanon urged its citizens on Thursday to “make plans to depart as soon as possible while commercial options are still available.”

In an emailed advisory to citizens, the embassy said it was closely monitoring the security situation in Lebanon.

“We recommend that US citizens who choose not to depart prepare contingency plans for emergency situations,” the embassy said.

On October 17, the State Department issued a travel advisory urging its citizens not to travel to Lebanon due to the “unpredictable security situation.”