Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) — The United States is preparing to return evacuated foreign service personnel to several diplomatic missions across the Middle East, according to an internal U.S. State Department document and confirmations from three U.S. officials reported by The New York Times on Tuesday, August 25, 2026.
The decision indicates that Washington does not anticipate a return to full-scale regional hostilities following recent conflict escalations, despite stalled direct talks between Washington and Tehran and renewed threats of economic sanctions.
Phased Staffing Levels by Mission
The State Department’s operational plan outlines specific staffing quotas and regional safety parameters:
Iraq, Kuwait, and Bahrain: Restoring on-site diplomatic staff up to 75% capacity.
UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Lebanon: Restoring on-site personnel up to 85% capacity, with Lebanon receiving some of the earliest returnees.
Israel, Jordan, and Oman: Authorizing a 100% full return of diplomatic personnel.
Dependent Travel Restrictions: Washington will maintain strict restrictions on accompanying family members across Lebanon and all six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, reflecting a calibrated security posture where overall threat levels have declined relative to the peak of the conflict but remain elevated compared to baseline conditions.
The planned return follows progressive emergency evacuations initiated in late February and early March 2026:
Pre-Strike Precautionary Moves: In late February 2026, non-essential personnel and family members at the U.S. mission in Jerusalem were offered voluntary departure immediately preceding joint military operations.
Baghdad Evacuations and Standoff: In early March 2026, the State Department ordered the mandatory drawdown of non-emergency staff across regional posts, including Baghdad, ahead of drone and rocket strikes targeting the U.S. Embassy compound on March 17.
Ceasefire Dynamics: While a 60-day ceasefire expired last week without formal renewal terms finalized, U.S. security assessments determined that resuming partial mission staffing balances operational foreign policy objectives with on-ground personnel safety.
Former U.S. diplomatic and defense officials noted that while redeploying personnel underscores an administrative assessment that active war footing is receding, emergency contingency mechanisms remain in place should regional security dynamics shift.