According to US State Department officials, non-essential US embassy employees and their dependents have been asked to leave Iraq because of unknown security threats.
“We made the decision to lessen the impact of our mission in Iraq based on our most recent analysis,” the State Department said in a statement on Wednesday.
“We are constantly assessing the appropriate personnel posture at all our embassies,” it continued.
The voluntary withdrawal of US military dependents from the Middle East was also approved by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday.
According to the Xinhua news agency, it is not immediately obvious what security threats led to the ordered withdrawal from Iraq.
Iran reportedly threatened to attack US sites in the area if talks over its nuclear program don’t work out, according to media sources.
On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump stated in a podcast that he was losing faith in a nuclear agreement with Iran.
When questioned about negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program, Trump said, “I don’t know,” on the “Pod Force One” podcast. “I’m not sure. I did believe so, but my confidence in that belief is waning.
In response to a question later on Wednesday about why US military families were let to depart the Middle East, Trump remarked, “You will have to see.”
This weekend, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is scheduled to meet with White House special envoy Steve Witkoff for a sixth round of nuclear negotiations.
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