US to pull some embassy staff from region as tensions rise

The US ordered some staff to depart its embassy in Baghdad and authorised families of military service members to leave the region, officials said, after Iran threatened to strike American bases if it’s attacked over its nuclear programme.

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The decision to reduce staffing in Iraq was “based on our latest analysis,” according to the State Department. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth authorised family members of US military stationed across the region to leave, according to a Pentagon statement.

Neither statement cited a specific threat but the New York Post published an interview in which President Donald Trump said he’s growing less confident about the prospects for negotiations to impose new limits on Iran’s nuclear program. Iran, meanwhile, warned of retaliation against US military assets in the Middle East if the talks collapse and the Islamic Republic is attacked.