US allows some embassy staff to leave Israel over possible Iran conflict
USA TODAY
The \
JERUSALEM, Feb 27 (Reuters) - 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.
More: Did Donald Trump end 8 wars? Figure mentioned in SOTU address inflated
Ali Vaez of the International Crisis Group joins The Excerpt to break down the complicated history between the United States and Iran.
Former counterterrorism director Joe Kent is under FBI investigation for reportedly leaking classified information. Sources said the investigation began before his resignation in protest of the war.
Israel bombed Iran’s massive Pars natural gas field, causing oil prices to jump and setting a new benchmark in the U.S.-Israeli war.
Plus: Markwayne Mullin and Rand Paul's Senate confrontation. Here is the news to know on Thursday.
Decades before the U.S.- Israel war in Iran began, Iran was considered one of the United States' most important allies in the Middle East.
As the Senate considers President Donald Trump's stringent anti-voter fraud measure, legal experts say Kansas's offers a troubling case study.
Dolores Huerta alleges Cesar Chavez sexually assaulted her while both were leading the farmworker movement and co‑founding the United Farm Workers union.
TSA lines across the country are lengthening and terrorism threats are on the rise as the Department of Homeland Security remains partially shut down.
Cesar Chavez was heralded as a labor and civil rights icon. This is being questioned after allegations he sexually assaulted women and girls.
From propeller planes to high-tech jets, Air Force One has evolved into a flying White House, carrying presidents and American power worldwide.
National Republicans are sharing videos from inside the Atlanta airport blaming the partial government shutdown on Democrats. Long lines continue.
Intelligence leaders faced tense Senate questioning as Tulsi Gabbard defended the U.S. assessment of the Iran war.
Authorities have described the March 12 synagogue attack as a targeted act of violence against the Jewish community.