MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

US removes non-essential staff from diplomatic missions in Middle East

Israel is feared to attack Iran unilaterally despite President Trump's stance

Washington has authorized the partial evacuation of non-essential diplomats and military personnel from its Middle East facilities, including the embassy in Baghdad and bases in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Iraq, and the UAE, due to heightened security risks stemming from a potential Israeli attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, it was reported Wednesday.

“They are being moved out because it could be a dangerous place, and we'll see what happens,” President Donald Trump said. “But they have been, or we've given notice to move out, and we'll see what happens, he added.”

The decision follows intelligence indicating Israel may act unilaterally, despite efforts to negotiate a new nuclear deal with Iran to limit uranium enrichment. Trump has expressed pessimism about reaching an agreement with Iran and has urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to avoid military escalation.

”I'm less confident now than I would have been a few months ago. Something happened to them (the Iranians), but I'm much less confident that a deal will be made,” Trump said in an interview with the New York Post.

Iran has warned of retaliatory strikes on US bases if attacked, escalating regional tensions. The US Central Command (CENTCOM) is on high alert, and the State Department is prioritizing the safety of its personnel, according to US government sources quoted by Reuters and the Washington Post.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon has allowed family members of military personnel to leave American installations in several Middle Eastern countries.

Given the risk of Israel acting unilaterally, the situation seems to be “more serious than at any time before,” according to an American diplomatic source quoted by the Washington Post. The Times of Israel said Trump told Netanyahu that “an attack on Iran is off the table for now” and that “threats of attack are not helping” negotiations with Tehran. “I told him this would be inappropriate to do right now because we're very close to a solution,” Trump reportedly said.

CBS News said the White House foresaw Iran could retaliate on certain American sites in neighboring Iraq, including Baghdad, while officials in the United States and Europe told The New York Times that Israel appeared to be preparing to launch an airstrike soon.

Meanwhile, the British Maritime Trade Organization advised ships to exercise caution in the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, and Gulf of Oman because of “increased tensions.”