A large new US embassy in a small Middle Eastern country has raised concerns.

A massive new US embassy complex in Lebanon is causing controversy due to its sheer size and opulence in a country where nearly 80% of the population is under the poverty line. Located 13 kilometers (about 8 miles) from the center of Beirut, the complex is almost two-and-a-half times the size of the land the White House sits on and more than 21 soccer fields. Many Lebanese on Twitter questioned why the US needs such a large embassy in their capital, as Lebanon is smaller than Connecticut and has a population of just six million. Computer-generated images published by the embassy show an ultra-modern compound, hosting multi-story buildings with high glass windows, recreational areas, and a swimming pool surrounded by greenery and views of the Lebanese capital. The US embassy complex in Lebanon has been announced in 2015 and is estimated to cost $1 billion. It is the home of Hezbollah, the most powerful group in the country, but has had a turbulent history with the US. Last month marked 40 years since the 1983 bombing of the American embassy in Beirut, which killed 63 people, including 52 Lebanese and embassy employees. In October that year, a bomb struck barracks in Beirut housing American and French peacekeepers, killing 299 people. The US has had a turbulent history with Lebanon, home to Iran-backed Hezbollah, but has enjoyed friendly relations with the US.