Iranian Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh raised alarm on Wednesday when he warned that, in the event of a conflict following failed nuclear talks, Iran would retaliate by hitting US bases in the region.
“America will have to leave the region because all its military bases are within our reach and we will, without any consideration, target them in the host countries,” he told reporters.
The US embassy is seen from across the River Tigris in Baghdad, Iraq.Credit: AP
Iran’s UN mission on Wednesday posted on X: “Threats of ‘overwhelming force’ won’t change facts: Iran is not seeking a nuclear weapon and US militarism only fuels instability”.
That statement appeared to be a response to a comment by US Army General Michael “Erik” Kurilla, head of US Central Command, that he had provided the president with “a wide range of options” to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran.
Kurilla postponed testimony that he was due to deliver before US politicians on Thursday because of tensions in the Middle East, two other US officials said.
Analysts are debating possible motives for personnel moves, The New York Times reported. Some think the US and Britain might be trying to intimidate Iran, or were responding with alarm to Tehran’s statements.
President Donald Trump was asked about the MIddle East personnel departures as he attended a performance of Les Misérables in Washington late on Wednesday with first lady Melania Trump.Credit: AP
Some also wondered whether US and British officials were reacting to a heightened chance that Israel would attack Iran. Trump has said he does not want Israel to take military action that could disrupt his efforts to broker a nuclear deal with Tehran.
Britain’s Foreign Office said it was monitoring the situation and would keep its embassy in Iraq under constant review following the US moves.
Earlier on Wednesday, Britain’s maritime agency said increased tensions in the Middle East may lead to an escalation in military activity that could affect shipping in critical waterways. It advised vessels to use caution while travelling through the Gulf, the Gulf of Oman and the Straits of Hormuz, all of which border Iran.
The State Department updated its worldwide travel advisory on Wednesday evening to reflect the latest US posture. “On June 11, the Department of State ordered the departure of non-emergency U.S. government personnel due to heightened regional tensions,” the advisory said.
The US has a military presence across the major oil-producing region, with bases in Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has authorised the voluntary departure of military dependents from locations across the Middle East, a US official said. Another American official said that was mostly relevant to family members located in Bahrain – where the bulk of them are based.
The US embassy in Kuwait said in a statement on Wednesday that it “has not changed its staffing posture and remains fully operational”.
Another US official said there was no change in operations at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest American military base in the Middle East, and that no evacuation order had been issued for employees or families linked to the US embassy in Qatar, which was operating as usual.
Iraq’s state news agency cited a government source as saying Baghdad had not recorded any security indication that called for an evacuation.
Iraq – a rare regional partner of both the US and its arch regional foe, Iran – hosts 2500 American troops, though Tehran-backed armed factions are linked to its security forces.
Tensions inside Iraq have heightened since the start of the war in Gaza in October 2023, with Iran-aligned armed groups in the country repeatedly attacking US troops, though attacks have subsided since last year.
Israel and Iran also twice exchanged fire last year – the first ever such direct attacks between the region’s most entrenched enemies – with missiles and war drones hurtling across Iraqi airspace.
Israel has also struck Iran-linked targets across the region, including Iraqi armed groups operating both inside Iraq and in neighbouring Syria.
In recent months, the US had deployed more military assets in the Middle East, including B-2 bombers, which have since been replaced, and extending the deployment of a second aircraft carrier, which has since departed.
The next round of nuclear talks between Iran and the US is due in coming days, with Iran expected to hand over a counterproposal after rejecting an offer by Washington.
Reuters
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