The U.S. will permit non-emergency government personnel and family members to leave Israel over safety risks, the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem said on Friday, amid growing concerns about the risk of a military conflict with Iran.
The embassy did not elaborate on the safety risks leading to the “authorized departure”, which allows affected personnel to decide whether to leave. It falls short of the ordered departure instituted this week for some personnel at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut.
The U.S. has built up one of its biggest military deployments in the Middle East as it negotiates with Iran over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear programme. The latest round of talks ended on Thursday with no sign of a breakthrough.
Iran has threatened to strike American bases in the region if it is attacked, and an escalation could also draw in Israel. The two foes fought a 12-day war in June.
Several countries have begun withdrawing dependents of diplomatic personnel and non-essential staff from some locations in the Middle East, or advising citizens to avoid travel to Iran, amid rising tensions between Washington and Tehran.
US-Iran talks end with no deal
The United States and Iran made progress in talks over Tehran’s nuclear program on Thursday, mediator Oman said, but hours of negotiation ended with no sign of a breakthrough that could avert potential U.S. strikes amid a massive military buildup.
The two sides plan to resume negotiations soon after consultations in their countries’ capitals, with technical-level discussions scheduled to take place next week in Vienna, Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi said in a post on X after the day’s meetings in Switzerland.
Badr Albusaidi will hold talks with U.S. Vice President JD Vance and other U.S. officials in Washington on Friday, MS NOW reported late on Thursday. Neither the White House nor Oman’s embassy in Washington immediately responded to requests for comment.
Any substantial move toward an elusive agreement between longtime foes Washington and Tehran could reduce the imminent prospects for U.S President Donald Trump to carry out a threatened attack on Iran that many fear could escalate into a wider war.
But Tuesday’s indirect talks wrapped up without a deal, still leaving the region on edge.
Source: Reuters
