CNN: US Seeks to Cut Embassy Staff in West Asia
The US Department of State is exploring the possibility of reducing the number of its staff serving at embassies in West Asia, CNN news agency reported on Wednesday citing its unnamed sources.
The State Department is asking US embassies in West Asia to create plans to continue operating with a small number of staff on the ground, the agency reported.The plans have not been finalized, the sources said, and it is unclear if they will be implemented at all of the embassies that are currently on reduced staffing, it added.Still, the developments underscore that the State Department does not expect to return to normal staffing in the region soon amid the looming threat of a full-scale return to war, according to CNN.The news agency also quoted a US high-ranking state official close to the matter as saying, "The safety and security of our personnel and their families remains the Department’s top priority as we continue to assess conditions across the region."
The United States and Israel began a war with Iran on February 28. In June, Washington and Tehran signed a Memorandum of Understanding providing for an immediate cessation of hostilities on all fronts, including in Lebanon.However, in the early morning hours of July 8, the US resumed large-scale raids against Iran. In response, the Iranian Armed Forces have conducted devastating strikes against strategic American targets across West Asia.
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