A senior State Department official — speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter — confirmed the directive and said Secretary of State Marco Rubio still intends to travel to Israel this week, though "the timeline remains subject to change.”

A Lebanese security source, speaking to Agence France-Presse, said approximately 40 embassy personnel departed Beirut through the city’s international airport earlier Monday. The embassy will remain operational with a reduced footprint, limited to essential staff.

"We continually assess the security landscape, and based on our latest analysis, we determined it was prudent to scale down to core personnel only,” the U.S. official said, emphasizing that the move reflects precaution rather than a closure.

The announcement comes as Washington increases its military presence across the Middle East to pressure Iran ahead of renewed negotiations scheduled for Thursday in Switzerland. U.S. officials have stressed that the buildup is intended to deter escalation and protect diplomatic assets.

Hostilities along the Lebanon–Israel frontier have persisted despite a November 2024 ceasefire that ended more than a year of war between Hezbollah and Israel. Israeli forces have continued targeted strikes in southern Lebanon, saying they are preventing Hezbollah from reconstituting its military infrastructure following significant losses, including several senior commanders.

Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, reaffirmed Saturday that "resistance remains the only option,” one day after eight of its fighters were killed in Israeli strikes on eastern Lebanon. The group’s stance highlights the fragility of the ceasefire and the sustained risk to diplomatic missions operating in the country.