Following up on a recent order by the US State Department dramatically restricting the movements of Syria’s Ambassador to the United Nations, the Obama Administration has closed Syria’s embassy outright.

In practical terms, this means that all personnel for Syria’s embassy and its consulates in Houston, TX and Troy, MI will be forced to leave the country. The administration said it was “unacceptable” for officials appointed by the Assad government to provide consular services to Syrians inside the US.

US Special Envoy to Syria Daniel Rubenstein insisted that the US will continue “diplomatic relations” with Syria, but is primarily focused on assisting rebels looking to impose regime change.

Pro-rebel Syrian-Americans had been complaining that officials from the embassy, as well as from the office at the United Nations, had been giving pro-Assad speeches around the US, which prompted the travel limits, and apparently now the outright expulsions, ensuring that no Syrian officials will be able to criticize the al-Qaeda dominated rebellion inside US territory.