State Department orders US citizens to leave Lebanon due to ‘volatile’ situation
U.S. officials warn Americans to evacuate Lebanon immediately due to a volatile and unpredictable security situation, with airstrikes, drones, and rocket attacks reported across the country, especially in the south, the Beqaa Valley, and parts of Beirut.The State Department urges all citizens to depart now, while those who stay shoudl be prepared to shelter in place; nonessential diplomats and family members at the Beirut embassy had already been ordered to leave. Although the United States is not at war with Lebanon, it is at war with Iran, which backs Hezbollah, and Iran-backed militias are blamed for attacks in the region as Israel conducts operations in southern Lebanon. prime Minister benjamin Netanyahu suggests cracks in the Iranian regime and hezbollah,though Hezbollah remains capable of launching rockets. The broader context includes heightened regional clashes,with former President Trump teasing strikes against Iranian targets,contributing to the chaos that has led the U.S.to urge citizens to flee.
State Department orders US citizens to leave Lebanon, calling situation ‘volatile and unpredictable’
The Trump administration urged U.S. citizens to swiftly evacuate Lebanon on Friday, citing looming danger from Iran and terrorist groups aligned with the country.
The State Department encouraged all citizens in the country to leave “now,” with those who chose to remain instructed to prepare to shelter in place. All citizens outside the country are told not to travel to Lebanon, as the State Department warned that “Iran and its aligned terrorist militias may intend to target universities in Lebanon.”
“If you are in the country, the Department of State urges U.S. citizens to depart Lebanon while commercial flight options remain available,” a notice from the agency read. “The security situation in Lebanon is volatile and unpredictable. Airstrikes, drones, and rocket attacks occur throughout the country, especially in the south, the Beqaa, and parts of Beirut.”
The United States is not at war with Lebanon. However, alongside Israel, it is at war with Iran, which provides backing to the Lebanon-based Shia terrorist organization Hezbollah. The Iranian proxy group began attacking Israel in recent weeks in retaliation for the war in Iran. The strikes prompted Israel to launch a ground invasion in southern Lebanon. The two Middle Eastern countries, which border each other, remain engaged in ongoing strikes, as Israel seeks to root out Hezbollah terrorists in the region.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday issued an update on the war in his northern neighbor and Iran, saying the multi-arena military campaigns against Hezbollah and Tehran are “creating visible cracks in the terrorist regime.” Still, he said, Hezbollah holds a “residual capability to launch rockets at us.”
TRUMP TEASES STRIKES AGAINST IRANIAN BRIDGES AND ‘ELECTRIC POWER PLANTS’
“Iran is not the same Iran, Hezbollah is not the same Hezbollah,” Netanyahu said. “These are no longer terrorist armies that threaten our existence; these are battered enemies fighting for their own survival.”
The conflict has deepened chaos in Lebanon, leading the U.S. on Friday to publicly urge citizens to flee the area. The State Department had previously ordered nonessential diplomats and their family members at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut to leave Lebanon in late February.
" Conservative News Daily does not always share or support the views and opinions expressed here; they are just those of the writer."
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
