US Embassy in Baghdad prepares for ordered departure
Shafaq News/ US Embassy in Baghdad is preparing for ordered departure due to the hightened security risks in the region, an Iraqi security official and a US source told Reuters on Wednesday.
The State Department is planning to carry it out through commercial means. However, the US military stands ready to assist if requested, another American official stated.
The Baghdad embassy has already been on limited staffing, and the order will not affect a large number of personnel, but the department also is authorizing the departure of nonessential personnel and family members from Bahrain and Kuwait.
Ealier, Iranian Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh warned Iran will target US bases in the region if nuclear talks lead to a conflict with Washington.
US President Donald Trump, in an interview,
expressed diminishing confidence that Iran would agree to halt uranium
enrichment as part of a nuclear deal with Washington.
Another US official confirmed that operations remain unchanged at Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest American military installation in the Middle East. No evacuation order has been issued for embassy staff or their families in Qatar, and the embassy continues to operate normally.
