US starts returning staff to Middle East missions after Iran war evacuations, sources say

(Reuters)

WASHINGTON, Aug 25 – President Donald Trump’s administration is starting 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.

The return of some staff is expected to start as early as this week, one of the sources said.

The United States pulled out staff from embassies across the Middle East after joint U.S.-Israeli strikes ​on Iran began on February 28. Some embassies in Gulf Arab countries such as Saudi Arabia and ​Kuwait came under fire from Iran, forcing the latter to temporarily close.