Return of US diplomats to Middle East seen as reducing risk of return to war

Return of US diplomats to Middle East seen as reducing risk of return to war The Trump administration is beginning to send US diplomats back to embassies and consulates in the Middle East that were downsized or evacuated amid the war on Iran, according to media reports. The move appears to suggest the US is not anticipating a return to intense warfare that sparked a widescale withdrawal of US diplomats across the region earlier this year. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told foreign counterparts that “for the time being” the US would not start new strikes on Iran, Axios reported on Tuesday, as the US threatens instead to ramp up economic pressure on the Islamic Republic. Read more: Return of US diplomats to Middle East seen as reducing risk of return to war The US embassy headquarters in Riyadh is pictured on March 3, 2026, after it was hit by drone strikes earlier. Iran hit back at industrial and diplomatic targets across the Middle East on March 3, with Washington warning its citizens to evacuate the entire region (AFP)