US orders non-emergency personnel to evacuate from embassy in Beirut

WASHINGTON -- The US State Department on Monday ordered non-emergency US personnel to evacuate the US Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, amid heightened tensions in the Middle East.

"The Department of State has ordered the departure of non-emergency US government personnel and eligible family members from US Embassy Beirut," the State Department said in a statement, giving no reasons.

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

The State Department said the evacuation is a temporary measure while the embassy remains operational with core staff in place.

A new round of US-Iran talks is now scheduled for Thursday in Geneva and expected to focus on Iran's nuclear program, including uranium enrichment levels and sanctions relief. However, the previous two rounds of indirect talks made little visible progress.

US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he is considering a limited military strike on Iran.