Washington: Washington plans to return diplomats to its embassies in the Middle East. The New York Times reported on Tuesday, citing an internal State Department document, that the State Department is preparing to return diplomats to embassies in the Middle East that were evacuated before and during the war with Iran.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the return of foreign service personnel and the scaling back of emergency operations at US missions in the region could begin as early as this week. The move signifies a shift in the operational status of US embassies in the Middle East, which had been operating under emergency conditions.