The United States has ordered the evacuation of non-essential staff from its embassy in Beirut. This is a 'temporary' measure taken amid ongoing tensions between Washington and Tehran, a senior US official told France Press agency on Monday. 'This is a temporary measure aimed at ensuring the safety of our employees while maintaining our ability to operate and assist American citizens,' said the senior US State Department official, who asked not to be named. A Lebanese security source told France Press that about 40 embassy staff left Beirut via the airport on Monday. The decision applies to non-essential staff and their family members, but the embassy will remain open. The US official added: 'We are continuously assessing the security situation, and based on our latest analyses, we deemed it prudent to reduce our presence to essential staff only.'
