US President Donald Trump on Wednesday confirmed that American personnel were being relocated from the Middle East, warning that the region “could be a dangerous place” and reiterating that the United States would not permit Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon.
According to a Reuters report citing US and Iraqi sources, Washington is preparing for a partial evacuation of its embassy in Iraq. Additionally, military dependents will be permitted to leave certain locations across the Middle East due to escalating security concerns. The four US and two Iraqi sources did not specify the nature of the security risks that influenced the decision. News of the potential evacuation triggered a surge in global oil prices, rising by over 4%.
A US official stated that the State Department had authorised voluntary departures from both Bahrain and Kuwait. Later on Wednesday, the department updated its global travel advisory to reflect the new measures.
“On June 11, the Department of State ordered the departure of non-emergency US government personnel due to heightened regional tensions,” the updated advisory noted.
The evacuation order coincides with increased instability across the region. Efforts by Trump to negotiate a nuclear agreement with Iran appear to have stalled, while US intelligence suggests that Israel is preparing for a possible strike on Iranian nuclear sites.
“They are being moved out because it could be a dangerous place, and we’ll see what happens,” Trump told reporters. “We’ve given notice to move out.”
When asked about the possibility of de-escalating the current tensions, Trump responded: “They can’t have a nuclear weapon. Very simple, they can’t have a nuclear weapon.”
The president has repeatedly warned of military action against Iran should diplomatic efforts to curb its nuclear ambitions collapse. In an interview released earlier on Wednesday, he admitted to growing doubts over Tehran’s willingness to halt uranium enrichment, a critical demand from Washington.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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