A U.S. official confirmed that the State Department is preparing for an orderly evacuation of the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, citing increased security risks in the region. “The goal is to conduct the evacuation through commercial means,” the official said, adding that the U.S. military remains on standby to assist if needed, according to Reuters.
This move comes amid broader concerns across the region. The Associated Press reported that the State Department is also expected to order the departure of non-essential staff and their families from U.S. embassies in Bahrain and Kuwait as a precautionary measure.
Despite these developments, a separate U.S. official clarified that operations at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar — the largest U.S. military installation in the Middle East — remain unchanged. No evacuation orders have been issued for the U.S. embassy in Qatar, which continues to operate normally.
The developments follow heightened tensions with Iran. U.S. President Donald Trump, in an interview published Wednesday, expressed reduced confidence in Iran’s willingness to halt uranium enrichment under a potential new agreement with Washington. Trump has repeatedly warned that military action remains an option if no agreement is reached.
