US pulling personnel from West Asia as the region 'could be dangerous' amid tensions with Iran

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said American personnel were being moved out of the Middle East as the region “could be dangerous,” amid rising tensions with Iran. He also vowed that the US would not allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon.

The State Department said it had ordered the departure of all non-essential personnel from the US Embassy in Baghdad following its latest review and a commitment “to keeping Americans safe, both at home and abroad.” The embassy was already operating with limited staff, so the order will not affect a large number of personnel.

However, the department is also authorising the departure of non-essential personnel and family members from Bahrain and Kuwait, allowing them the option to leave at government expense and with official assistance.

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Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth “has authorised the voluntary departure of military dependents from locations” across the region, US Central Command said in a statement. The command added that it “is monitoring the developing tension in the Middle East.”

It could be a dangerous place: Trump

Speaking at the Kennedy Center in Washington on Wednesday evening, President Trump said: “They are being moved out because it could be a dangerous place , and we’ll see what happens. We’ve given notice to move out, and we’ll see what happens.”

According to reports, the US is also planning a partial evacuation of its embassy in Iraq and will allow families of military personnel to leave certain locations in the Middle East due to heightened security threats, Reuters reported, citing US and Iraqi sources.

Rise in oil prices

The sources quoted by Reuters did not specify the nature of the security threats behind the evacuation decision. However, news of the possible evacuation caused oil prices to surge by over 4 per cent.

Voluntary departures from Bahrain, Kuwait.

A US official confirmed that the State Department has approved voluntary departures from Bahrain and Kuwait.

Mounting tensions in West Asia

The move comes at a tense moment in the region. Trump’s efforts to negotiate a nuclear deal with Iran have stalled, and US intelligence suggests that Israel may be preparing to attack Iran’s nuclear sites.

“They’re being moved out because it could be a dangerous place,” Trump told reporters. “We’ve given notice to leave. We’ll see what happens.”

Tensions have been rising in recent days as talks between the US and Iran over its rapidly advancing nuclear programme appear to have reached an impasse. The negotiations aim to limit Iran’s nuclear activity in return for easing some of the severe economic sanctions imposed by the US. Iran, however, maintains that its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes.