Amid fears of further escalation in the Middle East, the United States has begun the emergency evacuation of some of its diplomats and their family members from several countries in the region. According to American intelligence, Iran has significantly stepped up preparations for attacks on US personnel, and some plans are already at an advanced stage.
An October 23 internal memo addressed to Secretary of State Marco Rubio states that Iran's activity poses a threat not only in the Middle East but also in a number of other countries. A State Department spokesperson clarified that the threat from Yemen's Houthis and Iranian groups planning attacks on American officials is among the factors being taken into account in the review of personnel numbers.
This week the State Department ordered the departure from Saudi Arabia of employees not performing essential functions and all members of their families, explaining the decision by intensified Houthi attacks. Temporary changes in personnel numbers are also expected at US missions in Lebanon, the UAE, Qatar and Jordan, and according to sources the reductions have also affected other diplomatic missions in the region. Staff numbers in Kuwait and Bahrain, however, remain unchanged.
At the start of the war with Iran, many diplomats and their families had already been evacuated once and had only recently returned to their posts. Now they are forced to look for housing again and resolve the question of their children's education, with some employees complaining that they have not received clear explanations regarding financial compensation for the relocation.
"Some families had barely settled in when they were told once again that they had to leave," said Niki Gamer, a representative of the American Foreign Service Association, adding that the families are confused and outraged. The union has also reported cases in which people were offered to prepare to depart without confirmation of the amount of compensation for housing and other expenses.
This round of evacuations shows that Washington views the threat emanating from Iran not as a distant possibility but as an active operational risk. The October 23 memo, which speaks not only of the Middle East but also of other countries, suggests that the problem extends beyond a single region.
The most troubling thing is not the decision itself but its repetition. The same families that had recently returned must pack their bags again, and this time without clearly knowing who will cover the costs of housing and school. From this perspective, the statements of the State Department and the union contradict each other, and it is precisely in that contradiction that the most important question lies hidden: how prepared is the state machinery for the burden of repeated evacuations?
In the coming weeks it is worth watching the working arrangements of the missions in Saudi Arabia and Lebanon: if the restrictions are extended, the issue will become one not only of security but also of the effectiveness of diplomatic presence.
