U.S. to send personnel back to some Middle East diplomatic posts

The posts in Lebanon, Israel, Saudi Arabia and Baghdad, Iraq, are among those where staff will return, the sources said.

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Family members will also be allowed to return to the U.S. post in Riyadh, they added.

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The move suggests Washington sees a lower risk of the conflict with Iran escalating in the near term, though some embassies will initially operate below full capacity.

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Since then, heavy fighting has subsided even though a U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports persists and the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for oil and commodities shipping, remains shut with diplomatic efforts to end the war stalled.

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Some embassies in Gulf Arab countries such as Saudi Arabia and Kuwait came under fire from Iran, forcing the latter to temporarily close.

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Since then, heavy fighting has subsided even though a U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports persists and the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for oil and commodities shipping, remains shut with diplomatic efforts to end the war stalled.

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Since then, heavy fighting has subsided even though a U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports persists and the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for oil and commodities shipping, remains shut with diplomatic efforts to end the war stalled.

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The New York Times earlier reported the return of diplomats and the easing of emergency measures and said embassies in Jordan, Oman, Kuwait and Qatar were also expected to restore higher personnel levels, citing an internal document.

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It comes as President Donald Trump has signaled a preference for economically isolating Iran, among other strategies, over military escalation, as the war has nearly stretched to the six-month mark.

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It comes as President Donald Trump has signaled a preference for economically isolating Iran, among other strategies, over military escalation, as the war has nearly stretched to the six-month mark.

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The first diplomats to return will be at the Embassy in Lebanon, whose powerful Hezbollah organization is allied with Iran and has not suffered the missile attacks faced by the other countries.

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At the time, the Trump administration ordered nonemergency personnel and family members to leave posts in Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

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Before the war started, Israel and Lebanon had already been operating under departure and ordered arrangements, respectively.

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The Treasury Department is in the midst of rolling out an "Economic D-Day" campaign targeting the country, and Trump has backed away from negotiations to iron out a deal ending the war.

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Authorized departure means nonemergency personnel and family members could choose to leave, but they were not required to.

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During the course of the Iran war, which President Donald Trump launched alongside Israel on February 28, the State Department has reduced staffing across the region, and embassies have been attacked by Iran and Iran-aligned groups.

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Embassy compounds, including those in Baghdad, Riyadh and Kuwait, have been fired at or hit repeatedly.

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Bahrain and Kuwait, which have continued to face sporadic Iranian attacks, will have the lowest staffing of the Gulf embassies, with three-quarters of Foreign Service members returning.

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The reduction of U.S. diplomatic staffing in the region began in February, when Washington authorized the voluntary departure of nonessential personnel and family members from Israel amid rising tensions with Iran.

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Earlier that month, the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon had also ordered the departure of nonessential staff and family members because of the "security situation in Beirut."

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Reuters was unable to immediately verify the report, and the State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside regular business hours.

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