NYT: US plans embassy restaffing across Middle East as conflict fears fade

The US State Department is preparing to return evacuated diplomats to American embassies across the Middle East, with some foreign service officers potentially heading back to their posts as early as this week, The New York Times reports.

The move suggests the Trump administration does not currently anticipate a return to full-scale conflict with Iran, despite stalled negotiations and renewed threats of economic sanctions.

Three US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly, confirmed the planned changes. Embassies in Israel, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Oman, Iraq and Kuwait are among those expected to restore higher staffing levels.

In a statement, the State Department said it “continuously reviews the security posture at our diplomatic missions around the world. Based on our latest assessment, we are adjusting our staffing posture at certain posts in the Middle East to ensure we can continue advancing US foreign policy objectives while protecting the safety and security of our personnel.”

The first diplomats expected to return are assigned to the US Embassy in Lebanon, although the mission will not immediately return to full staffing. Under the plan, staffing at the embassies in Israel, Jordan and Oman will eventually return to full levels.

Posts in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Lebanon will initially operate at 85% staffing, while missions in Iraq, Kuwait and Bahrain will be capped at 75%. Restrictions on bringing family members will remain in place across six Gulf states and Lebanon.

“Returning personnel to missions that were partly evacuated suggests the administration believes the war is winding down,” said Dan Shapiro, a former US ambassador to Israel.

However, former officials cautioned that the move does not necessarily signal a lasting end to hostilities.

“The limits on family members in the Gulf suggest that the government still believes there is an elevated risk,” said John R. Bass, a former under secretary of state for management. “They suggest that the threat environment is less than 30, 60, or 90 days ago, but more than before the start of the war.”

Robert Danin, a former deputy assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs, similarly warned that the redeployment does not rule out future military action.

“Bringing back embassy staff does not tie their hands for taking action against Iran in the future,” Danin said. “They did it once. They can do it again.”

By Vafa Guliyeva