WASHINGTON

By MATTHEW LEEAP Diplomatic Writer

A State Department official says the U.S. has ordered nonessential diplomats and family members to leave Lebanon as tensions over Iran rise with the threat of a potentially imminent military strike. The official said Monday a continuous assessment of the regional security environment determined it was “prudent” to draw down the U.S. Embassy’s footprint so that only essential personnel remained at their posts. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because the move had not yet been formally announced. The official says that it is a temporary measure and that the embassy remains operational. A second department official says Secretary of State Marco Rubio may delay his intended visits to Israel this weekend.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States has ordered nonessential diplomats and their family members to leave Lebanon, a State Department official said Monday, as tensions over Iran rise with the threat of a potentially imminent military strike.

The official said a continuous assessment of the regional security environment determined it was “prudent” to draw down the U.S. Embassy’s footprint so that only essential personnel remained at their posts.

The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the move had not yet been formally announced, said that it is a temporary measure and that the embassy remained operational Monday.

A second department official, also speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss plans that had not been formally announced, said Secretary of State Marco Rubio may delay his intended visits to Israel this weekend.