[News]
Non-essential American embassy staff and their dependents in Baghdad are evacuating from Iraq due to heightened security risks, US government sources said on Wednesday.
Officials did not say exactly what prompted the removal, however in recent days talks over Iran’s nuclear programme appear to have stalled.
A US state department official told the BBC: “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.”
President Donald Trump told a podcast on Wednesday that he was growing less confident that a deal can be reached over Iran’s nuclear programme.
The US wants Iran to stop enriching uranium, which can be used to create a nuclear bomb, in exchange for easing economic sanctions.
Iranian Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh said his country would retaliate against American bases in the region if talks fail and the US president orders military strikes against Iran.
Reuters reported that US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth also approved the voluntary departure of families of US military personnel from countries across the Middle East including Kuwait and Bahrain.
Also on Wednesday, the UK’s Maritime Trade Operations organisation issued a warning saying that increased military tensions in the Middle East could affect shipping.
The price of oil initially increased more than 4% on the news, in anticipation of regional insecurity potentially leading to supply problems.
Around 2,500 American troops are based in Iraq, according to the US defence department.
With reporting from Tom Bateman in Washington
[English News]
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