The US State and Defense departments on Wednesday made efforts to arrange the departure of non-essential personnel from locations around the Middle East, according to US officials and sources familiar with the efforts.

Concern about a strike and the prospect of retaliation led the United States to withdraw diplomats from Iraq and authorize the voluntary departure of U.S. military family members from the Middle East.

The United States maintains military bases throughout the key oil-producing region, including in Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Monday that he has directed “the deployment of additional capabilities” to the Middle East amid escalating tensions in the region. “Protecting US forces is

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Monday he had ordered the deployment of additional defensive capabilities to the Middle East, as the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran drives regional tensions higher.

President Trump said that the withdrawal of non-essential workers and their families was due to the fact that the region ‘could be a dangerous place’ President Trump has confirmed that the US ...

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.