The United States is initiating a partial evacuation of its embassy in Iraq and permitting military dependents to depart from various locations in the Middle East due to increasing security concerns, according to US and Iraqi sources.
The four US sources and two Iraqi sources did not detail the specific security risks that prompted this decision, and rumors of the potential evacuation caused oil prices to surge by over 4%.
“The State Department routinely assesses American personnel overseas, and this decision was made following a recent review,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told Reuters when asked about the partial evacuations, without offering additional information.
A White House official confirmed that US President Donald Trump has been informed about this action.
Iranian missiles intercepted by Israeli air defenses last year
Mr. Trump has consistently warned of a potential attack on Iran if stalled negotiations regarding its nuclear program do not progress, expressing decreasing confidence that Iran will agree to halt uranium enrichment, a crucial demand from the US.
Iranian Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh stated that any attacks on Iran would result in retaliation against US bases in the region.
The United States maintains a military presence throughout key oil-producing areas, with bases situated in Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has sanctioned the voluntary departure of military dependents from various Middle Eastern locations, as confirmed by a US official.
Another US official indicated that this decision mainly pertains to family members based in Bahrain, where the majority are located.
“The State Department plans to execute an ordered departure for (the) US embassy in Baghdad. While the intention is to manage this through commercial means, the US military is prepared to assist if needed,” stated a third US official.
Iraq’s state news agency reported a government source saying Baghdad had not observed any security signals necessitating an evacuation.
The US embassy in Kuwait issued a statement affirming it “has not altered its staffing posture and remains fully operational.”
Another US official noted that there were no operational changes at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest US military base in the Middle East, and no evacuation orders had been issued for employees or families associated with the US embassy in Qatar, which continues to function normally.
Tensions
Oil futures rose by $3 following reports of the evacuation in Baghdad, with Brent crude futures reaching $69.18 a barrel.
Earlier, Britain’s maritime agency cautioned that rising tensions in the Middle East could lead to increased military activity affecting shipping in crucial waterways.
It recommended that vessels exercise caution while navigating through the Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, and the Straits of Hormuz, which all border Iran.
Iraq, an unusual regional ally of both the United States and its main adversary, Iran, hosts 2,500 US troops, though there are connections between Iran-backed armed factions and its security forces.
Tensions in Iraq have escalated since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023, with Iran-aligned armed groups in the country frequently targeting US troops, although such attacks have decreased since last year.
Israel and Iran exchanged fire twice last year—marking the first direct confrontations between the region’s longstanding adversaries—with missiles and drones traversing Iraqi airspace.
Israel has also targeted Iran-linked sites throughout the region, including Iraqi armed groups operating both in Iraq and neighboring Syria.
The next round of nuclear discussions between Iran and the United States is anticipated in the upcoming days, with Iran expected to provide a counterproposal after rejecting an American offer.
Iran’s UN mission posted on X, formerly Twitter: “Threats of ‘overwhelming force’ won’t change facts: Iran is not seeking a nuclear weapon, and US militarism only fuels instability.”
This statement seemed to respond to comments by US Central Command chief US Army General Michael Kurilla, who mentioned he had presented the president with “a wide range of options” to avert a nuclear-armed Iran.
