The State Department has begun evacuating the U.S. embassy in Israel. All non-emergency staff have been told to leave with their families “due to safety risks,” amid fears Israel could be in the firing line if tensions with Iran spill over. Hostilities continue to escalate as the White House demands that Iran end its nuclear program. The removal of U.S. citizens from the region suggests that military action could be imminent, while non-essential staff were also removed from the embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, earlier this week. U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee told staff that if they wanted to leave the country, Friday was the day to do it. President Trump made clear at Tuesday’s State of the Union address that he would prefer to reach an agreement with Iran through diplomatic channels. However, he has ordered a massive buildup of military hardware, including aircraft carriers, in the Middle East. Talks between the U.S. and Iran, mediated by a delegation from Oman, have reportedly progressed well. Axios reports that an Iranian military spokesperson said Friday, “Any unwise American action will lead to a widespread fire in the region.”
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