US Prepares Mideast Embassy Evacuations Amid Iran Tensions

Regional tensions surged Wednesday amid signs that nuclear negotiations with Iran may be nearing their conclusion, raising fears of a potential military confrontation and prompting a wave of security alerts and diplomatic movements.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), a British maritime security agency, issued an unusual advisory Wednesday, warning commercial vessels in the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz to exercise heightened caution due to what it called "increased tensions in the Middle East" that could escalate military activity and directly impact maritime security.

The UKMTO maritime advisory did not specify the immediate cause of its warning, but it comes against a backdrop of escalating threats from Israel and the U.S. about possible strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites.

Later in the day, Reuters reported that the United States was preparing to evacuate some embassy personnel from Iraq in response to growing security threats. The U.S. State Department confirmed it had authorized the departure of non-essential staff from its embassies in Bahrain and Kuwait.

Shortly after, both Reuters and AP reported that U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had approved the temporary evacuation of military personnel family members stationed in parts of the region. President Donald Trump was "aware of the move of U.S. personnel in the Middle East," a White House official told Reuters.

Trump followed with a post on Truth Social, declaring, "I am more confident than ever that in the days ahead and every generation to come, the U.S. Army will heap glory upon glory. You will summon inexhaustible courage. You will protect every inch of U.S. soil—and you will defend America to the ends of the earth!"

Adding to concerns, Reuters revealed late Wednesday that CENTCOM Commander Gen. Michael Kurilla had postponed his scheduled testimony before Congress due to the unfolding situation in the Middle East. In the wake of these developments, global oil prices jumped by roughly 5%.

The precautionary U.S. moves followed renewed threats from Tehran. Iranian Defense Minister Gen. Aziz Nasirzadeh warned that if diplomacy fails and conflict is "forced" upon Iran, the country would strike U.S. bases in the region. “The losses of the enemy would outweigh ours,” he said. “In the event of confrontation, America must leave the region, as all its bases are within our reach—we will not hesitate to target them.” Nasirzadeh also claimed Iran had recently tested a missile with a two-ton warhead.

A U.S. official said the State Department would instruct Baghdad embassy staff to leave via commercial flights but noted the U.S. military is ready to assist if needed. An Iraqi Foreign Ministry source confirmed a "partial evacuation" of the U.S. embassy in Baghdad due to "regional security concerns."

Another American official emphasized that no evacuation order had been issued for the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar—the largest U.S. military installation in the region—or for staff at the U.S. embassy in Doha.

Amid the rising rhetoric, Iran’s mission to the United Nations released a statement warning that threats of “overwhelming force” would not change the reality. “Iran is not seeking a nuclear weapon, and U.S. militarism only fuels instability,” the statement read, accusing CENTCOM of enabling Israeli actions and undermining diplomatic efforts. "Diplomacy—not militarism—is the only path forward."

Earlier in the evening, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused foreign enemies of trying to provoke internal conflict to justify an attack. “We are in contact with the U.S. and Europe, but we will not surrender to dictates,” he said. “No one has the right to deny our scientific research in nuclear technology. We do not seek nuclear arms, but we won’t strip our capabilities so Israel can bomb us freely.”

Yaakov Bardugo, a close associate of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, added to the speculation, saying Tuesday that Israel may be just days away from launching a military operation. “In my view, we are very close to striking Iran,” Bardugo said, citing frustrations over stalled nuclear talks. “The Americans aren’t delivering results.”

As nuclear negotiations between Washington and Tehran teeter on the brink of collapse, American officials have issued fresh warnings that failure could trigger a military response. While the date for a sixth round of talks remains uncertain, Defense Secretary Hegseth told Senate lawmakers on Wednesday that “there have been plenty of indications” Iran has been “moving their way toward something that would look a lot like a nuclear weapon.”

In a newly published interview with the New York Post podcast, President Trump expressed growing doubt about the prospects of reaching a deal to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program. “I don’t know,” Trump said when asked whether he still believed an agreement was possible. “I did think so, and I'm getting more and more less confident about it."

Trump voiced hope that Iran would shift course and choose diplomacy over confrontation. “They're not going to have a nuclear weapon. But it would be nicer to do it without warfare, without people dying, it's so much nicer to do it,” he said. “But I don't think I see the same level of enthusiasm for them to make a deal. I think they’re making a mistake, but we’ll see. I guess time will tell.”

The comments mark a stark shift in tone from the White House, which had previously projected optimism about the negotiations. As recently as this week, Trump said he was “disappointed” by Iran’s increasingly aggressive stance and accused Tehran of backtracking on earlier positions.

His pessimism comes amid mounting pressure from Israel to abandon talks altogether. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly urged Trump during a phone call on Monday to recognize that Iran was “stringing him along.” Still, sources say Trump is holding back from approving an Israeli military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities. During their conversation, he is said to have told Netanyahu explicitly that he is not giving Israel a “green light” for such an operation.

Since April, five rounds of negotiations have taken place, but talks appear to have stalled over a fundamental impasse: uranium enrichment. The U.S. insists any future deal must eliminate Iran’s capacity to enrich uranium—a process that, even at low levels, could eventually provide a pathway to a bomb. Iran, meanwhile, has repeatedly stated that enrichment on its own soil is a non-negotiable red line.