WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department has informed Congress that it plans to move ahead with the potential reopening of the U.S. Embassy in Libya, proposing to allocate nearly $41 million to restore America's formal diplomatic presence in the North African nation after a near 14-year absence. The move to reopen the embassy "is essential to advancing U.S. national security interests," it said. "The United States must remain engaged in regions where near-peer competitors and other adversarial actors are actively expanding their influence." Since then, U.S. diplomats assigned to Libya have been based in neighboring Tunisia and the Mediterranean island of Malta. Yet, it also comes amid new warnings of Iranian-related attacks against U.S. facilities in interests around the world, particularly in the Middle East.