US Orders Evacuation from Iraq Embassy as Iran Threatens Regional Bases
The United States is evacuating personnel from its embassy in Baghdad in response to Iran’s threats to target U.S. military bases in the Middle East, the State Department confirmed to Al-Monitor on Wednesday.
“President Trump is committed to keeping Americans safe, both at home and abroad. In keeping with that commitment, we are constantly assessing the appropriate personnel posture at all our embassies. Based on our latest analysis, we decided to reduce the footprint of our mission in Iraq,” a State Department official was quoted as saying.
The Associated Press reported that the order applies only to nonessential personnel at the U.S. Embassy.
According to reports, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has also ordered the voluntary departure of military family members from locations across the Middle East.
The evacuation comes as Iran’s defense minister, General Aziz Nasirzadeh, warned that Tehran would strike U.S. bases in the region if conflict breaks out or nuclear talks fail. “All U.S. bases are within our reach and we will boldly target them,” Nasirzadeh said.
Open-source reports noted an unusual spike in radio traffic on the U.S. Air Force’s High Frequency Global Communications System (HFGCS) on Wednesday, following Iran’s threats. Analysts believe the messages reflect increased alert levels or drills.
Additionally, open-source reports, including from the Twitter account @WarMonitor3, claimed that warplanes were spotted over numerous Iraqi cities on the same day.
Meanwhile, Ynet News journalist Emily Schrader reported widespread disruptions to government services across Saudi Arabia, with multiple websites crashing. Foreign sources have attributed the cyberattack to Iran.
Iran and the U.S. are preparing for a sixth round of nuclear talks this week following Iran’s rejection of the U.S. proposed deal. Although Iran maintains that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, uranium enrichment continues to be a central point of contention.
In a podcast interview, Trump said he is becoming less confident that a deal can be reached. “Something happened to them, but I am much less confident of a deal being made,” he said.
General Michael Kurilla, head of U.S. Central Command, said strike plans have been submitted to the White House in case diplomacy fails. “I have provided the secretary of defense and the president a wide range of options,” Kurilla said.
