U.S. to Restore Diplomats at 8 Middle East Posts as Iran War Evacuations Ease

3 articles · Updated · Haaretz · Aug 25

Returns of U.S. diplomats to Middle East embassies could begin as early as this week, with Lebanon set to receive the first Foreign Service officers under a State Department plan reported by the New York Times.
Eight posts — Israel, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Oman, Iraq and Kuwait — are slated to raise staffing after war-related drawdowns, as Washington says it is adjusting security postures while pursuing foreign policy goals.
The internal document says Israel, Jordan and Oman would eventually return to full staffing, while the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Lebanon would initially be capped at 85% and Iraq, Kuwait and Bahrain at 75%.
The reductions began in February, when the United States authorized voluntary departures of non-emergency staff and family members from Israel amid rising tensions that later escalated into the Iran war.