Donald Trump said he was withdrawing some of the American personnel deployed in the Middle East because it could be a “dangerous place” amid rising tensions.
The State Department said it had ordered the departure of all non-essential personnel and their dependents from its embassy in Baghdad.
Simultaneously, a US official said, defence secretary Pete Hegseth had authorised the voluntary departure of military dependents from countries across the region, including Bahrain and Kuwait. American soldiers in the region were not affected by this order, however.
The decision comes amid heightened tensions as Mr Trump’s push to reach a deal with Iran to halt its nuclear programme is deadlocked and intelligence suggests Israel is making preparations for a strike against Tehran’s nuclear facilities.
“They are being moved out because it could be a dangerous place, and we’ll see what happens,” Mr Trump told reporters on Wednesday. “We’ve given notice to move out.”
Asked if anything could be done to de-escalate tensions in the region, particularly with Iran, the president said: “They can’t have a nuclear weapon. Very simple – they can’t have a nuclear weapon.”
News of the Baghdad evacuation drove oil prices up by more than 4 per cent. Oil futures climbed $3, with Brent crude futures at $69.18 a barrel.
The US maintains a military presence across the oil-rich region, with bases in Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and the UAE.
Credit:INDEPENDENT