The USA is getting ready a partial evacuation of its embassy in Iraq and has authorised “the voluntary departure” of dependants of US personnel from areas throughout the Center East, together with Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, as regional safety issues rise.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated in an announcement on Wednesday that Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth had authorised the departure of army dependants within the area and that CENTCOM was “monitoring the creating pressure”.
Orders for all nonessential personnel to depart the US Embassy in Baghdad – which was already on restricted staffing – was based mostly on a dedication “to retaining Individuals protected, each at dwelling and overseas”, the Division of State stated.
Talking on Wednesday night, US President Donald Trump stated the order to maneuver employees out had been given as a result of the area “may very well be a harmful place”.
“We’ll see what occurs. We’ve given discover to maneuver out, and we’ll see what occurs,” Trump stated.
Trump then added in reference to Iran: “They’ll’t have a nuclear weapon, quite simple. We’re not going to permit that.”
Uncertainty has been rising in latest days as talks between the US and Iran over its nuclear programme seem to have hit an deadlock.
US information broadcaster CBS reported late on Wednesday that US officers have been knowledgeable that Israel is “absolutely prepared” to launch an assault on Iran and that Washington “anticipates” that Tehran may retaliate by concentrating on “sure American websites in neighbouring Iraq”.
Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher, reporting from Washington, DC, stated there have been clear indicators in latest days of high-level discussions between senior army officers and the Trump administration amid concern across the ongoing talks with Iran over its nuclear programme.
“Donald Trump has within the final couple of days … expressed his concern {that a} deal may not have the ability to be performed,” Fisher stated.
“Due to this fact, we’re seeing, successfully, the partial evacuation of the embassy in Baghdad with non-military personnel and non-essential employees being moved out. And the voluntary evacuation of different embassies within the area,” he stated.
“They’ve performed this type of factor earlier than,” Fisher stated, noting the Baghdad embassy was partially evacuated beforehand over “issues that the embassy may change into a goal for Iranian-aligned militias in Iraq”.
“Clearly, there’s some concern that the discussions with the Iranians aren’t going properly. Or, it may very well be that that is all designed to place strain on Iranians. As a result of, you’ll bear in mind, that Donald Trump stated that in the event that they couldn’t get some type of deal, then … there may very well be some type of army motion in opposition to the Iranians.”
As experiences of US embassy employees and dependants departing the Center East area emerged, Iran’s mission to the United Nations posted on social media that “Iran just isn’t searching for a nuclear weapon, and US militarism solely fuels instability”.
“Threats of ‘overwhelming power’ gained’t change the information,” the Iranian mission stated.
“Diplomacy – not militarism – is the one path ahead,” it added.
Threats of “overwhelming power” gained’t change information:
Iran just isn’t searching for a nuclear weapon, and U.S. militarism solely fuels instability.CENTCOM’s legacy of fueling regional instability, by way of arming aggressors and enabling Israeli crimes, strips it of any credibility to talk on…
— I.R.IRAN Mission to UN, NY (@Iran_UN) June 11, 2025
Individually, Iranian Defence Minister Common Aziz Nasirzadeh advised reporters earlier that he hoped talks with the US would achieve success, although Tehran stood prepared to answer any aggression.
“If battle is imposed on us, the opponent’s casualties will definitely be greater than ours, and in that case, America should go away the area, as a result of all its bases are inside our attain,” he stated.
“Now we have entry to them, and we’ll goal all of them within the host international locations with out hesitation.”
The subsequent spherical of talks – the sixth – between the US and Iran on limits to Tehran’s nuclear programme in alternate for lifting sanctions on the nation have been tentatively scheduled for this weekend in Oman, in line with experiences, and Trump’s Center East envoy, Steve Witkoff, continues to be scheduled to attend.