In yet another sign that the United States may be preparing for some sort of military action against Iran, the U.S. State Department on Monday ordered all non-emergency personnel and their families to evacuate from the American Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon. The State Department didn't offer a reason for the evacuation order, but it comes as a U.S. military build up takes place in the Middle East.
"The Department of State has ordered the departure of non-emergency U.S. government personnel and eligible family members from U.S. Embassy Beirut," a statement released Monday read. "We continuously assess the security environment, and based on our latest review, we determined it prudent to reduce our footprint to essential personnel. The Embassy remains operational with core staff in place. This is a temporary measure intended to ensure the safety of our personnel while maintaining our ability to operate and assist U.S. citizens," it continued.
BREAKING: All non-emergency U.S. government personnel have been ordered to evacuate from the U.S. Embassy in Beirut.
— Fox News (@FoxNews) February 23, 2026
The move comes amid a massive U.S. military buildup in the Middle East and reports of potential strikes against Iran. | @TreyYingst pic.twitter.com/Hz2WwbtP6F
While the State Department offered no official explanation for ordering the evacuation, there are reasons they'd want as few Americans in the area as possible if a strike on Iran is in the works. Namely, the terror group Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, has recently been shoring up its presence in Lebanon.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has tightened control over Hezbollah in Lebanon amid looming prospects of potential U.S. strikes, according to reports.
According to the Jerusalem Post, the tactical shift comes as Hezbollah and Iran prepare for military confrontation in the region, with analysts warning that if Washington specifically strikes the regime, Hezbollah is ready to be "activated."
"If the regime in Tehran feels threatened, the likelihood of unleashing Hezbollah against Israel and U.S. regional assets increases substantially," Ross Harrison, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, told Fox News Digital.
The evacuation order happens as a second aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford – the world's largest aircraft carrier – is repositioning from the Caribbean to the Mediterranean Sea; the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group has been in the area for a while, and is currently operating in the Arabian Sea.
READ MORE: U.S. Rejects Tehran's Latest Deal and All Signs Suggest That Regime Change Is on Trump's Agenda
UK Balks on Iran Strikes, Trump Fires Back Over Diego Garcia
As pressure mounts on Iran to strike a deal to abandon its nuclear weapon program, RedState's own streiff game-planned out what might happen next.
If you followed the prelude to former Venezuelan strongman and current federal prisoner Nicolas Maduro being dragged, whining, and in his boxers, onto a U.S. Army helicopter, a lot of this will look familiar:
- An intransigent opponent.
- A taste of kinetic action, with Iran, it was Midnight Hammer, with Maduro, it was his drug boats getting vaporized.
- Trump offering a deal.
- The opponent thinking they can use the rope-a-dope to do nothing.
- A massive military buildup.
- A deadline.
There are several lines of attack against possible military action that have emerged.
In perhaps another sign that action against Iran could be imminent, Secretary of State Marco Rubio is reportedly considering delaying a planned trip to Israel that was slated for this upcoming weekend.
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