The State Department is reportedly ordering the departure of all nonessential personnel from the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq.
It will also authorize non-essential personnel to leave from other Middle East nations in the region.
The Associated Press reported, “The State Department said it has ordered the departure of all nonessential personnel from the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad based on its latest review and a commitment ‘to keeping Americans safe, both at home and abroad.’”
“The embassy already had been on limited staffing, and the order will not affect a large number of personnel,” the outlet further noted.
“The State Department regularly reviews American personnel abroad and this decision was made as a result of a recent review,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told Reuters when asked about reports of the partial evacuations, without giving further details.
The State Department is also authorizing the departure of nonessential personnel and family members in Bahrain and Kuwait. That means they can leave at government expense.
Additionally, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth “has authorized the voluntary departure of military dependents from locations” across the Persian Gulf region, U.S. Central Command said in a statement, according to the AP. The command “is monitoring the developing tension in the Middle East.”
CENTCOM commander Gen. Erik Kurilla was scheduled to testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee Thursday, but that testimony has now been postponed, according to the committee’s website.
NEWS: The Senate Armed Services Committee has postponed its CENTOM hearing with General Michael Kurilla amid the U.S. missions in Iraq preparing for an ordered departure and military dependents being authorized for a voluntary departure in other areas of the Middle East. pic.twitter.com/yOEl0Jv4sp
— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) June 11, 2025
Do you think the U.S. should be involved in Middle Eastern affairs?
The moves by federal government officials come as nuclear weapons talks between the U.S. and Iran appear to have broken down.
Trump told the New York Post’s Miranda Devine that he was “getting more and more less confident about” a deal.
“They seem to be delaying, and I think that’s a shame. I’m less confident now than I would have been a couple of months ago. Something happened to them,” he said in the interview released Wednesday.
WATCH 🔴
Trump casts doubt on the nuclear deal with Iran:
“I don’t know. I did think so, and I’m getting more and more less confident about it” https://t.co/sRtZ1gMTKd pic.twitter.com/3mwWUalNpO
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) June 11, 2025
Trump said last week that allowing Iran to continue to enrich uranium is a nonstarter for the U.S.
“Under our potential Agreement — WE WILL NOT ALLOW ANY ENRICHMENT OF URANIUM!” he wrote.
Donald J. Trump Truth Social 06.02.25 06:05 PM EST pic.twitter.com/qXtScMZNYw
— Commentary Donald J. Trump Posts From Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) June 2, 2025
The president said during his tour of Middle East nations last month regarding an Iran deal, “We’re getting close to maybe doing a deal without having to do this … there (are) two steps to doing this, there is a very, very nice step, and there’s a violent step — violence like people haven’t seen before … I don’t want to do the second step.”
Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.
There is 2 steps… There is a very nice step, and there is a very violent step.
I hope we don’t have to do the second step. pic.twitter.com/n7k8RocD8P
— Joe Rambo (@BrainStorm_Joe) May 15, 2025
House Armed Services Committee chairman Rep. Mike Rogers of Alabama asked Kurilla Tuesday if Trump directed, “Is CENTCOM prepared to respond with overwhelming force to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran?”
“I have provided the President a wide range of options,” the general answered.
“I have provided the President a wide range of options.”
Centcom commander Gen Michael Kurilla said the US is ready to strike Iran with ‘overwhelming force’ should nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran fail. pic.twitter.com/kEPQcSIj8b
— The National (@TheNationalNews) June 10, 2025
Reuters reported that a senior Iranian official sees the U.S. military threat as part of America’s negotiating tactics.
“Any military action against Iran, whether by the U.S. or Israel, will have serious consequences,” the official warned.
Oil futures jumped $3 on reports of the evacuation of U.S. personnel from Baghdad.
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