US starts returning staff to Middle East embassies after Iran war evacuations, sources say
Aug 25 (Reuters) - The U.S. is beginning to send personnel back to some diplomatic missions in the Middle East that were evacuated or downsized amid tensions with Iran, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters.
The posts in Lebanon, Israel, Saudi Arabia and Baghdad, Iraq, are among those where staff will return, the sources said. Family members will also be allowed to return to the U.S. post in Riyadh, they added.
The move suggests Washington sees a lower risk of the conflict with Iran escalating in the near term, though some embassies will initially operate below full capacity.
Some embassies will initially operate at no more than 85% of authorized personnel levels, the sources said.
A U.S. State Department spokesperson told Reuters in an emailed statement that the department continuously reviews the security posture of its diplomatic missions worldwide and adjusts staffing levels based on its latest assessments.
Staffing decisions are driven by evolving security conditions, with the safety of employees and their families remaining the top priority, while advancing U.S. foreign policy goals, the spokesperson said.
The New York Times earlier reported that the return of diplomats and the easing of emergency measures at U.S. missions in the region could begin as early as this week.
The newspaper, citing an internal document, said embassies in Jordan, Oman, Kuwait and Qatar were also expected to restore higher personnel levels.
U.S. embassies in Israel, Jordan and Oman would ultimately return to full staffing, while missions in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Lebanon would initially be capped at 85% staffing. Posts in Iraq, Kuwait and Bahrain would be limited to 75%, the newspaper added.
The staff reductions began in February, when Washington authorized voluntary departures of non-emergency personnel and family members from Israel amid tensions with Iran.
(Reporting by Bipasha Dey and Abu Sultan in Bengaluru and Humeyra Pamuk in Washington; Editing by Alex Richardson, Conor Humphries, Alistair Bell and Sanjeev Miglani)
