The United States is said to have heightened its security stance in the face of growing fears that Israel could unilaterally strike Iranian nuclear facilities, local media reports indicate.
The Trump administration is becoming increasingly worried that Tel Aviv would resort to independent military action if current diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran disintegrate, according to The Washington Post.
Addressing journalists on Wednesday, President Donald Trump revealed that American personnel were being shifted out of several locations in the Middle East, especially Iran, because of the escalated threat of war.
"They (US personnel) are being moved out because it could be a dangerous place, and we will see what happens. We have given notice to move out," Trump stated.
Against the backdrop of these events, the US State Department has approved the evacuation of some diplomats from Iraq. At the same time, the Pentagon has approved for military families serving at US bases around the country to depart voluntarily.
The security escalation is occurring at a time when the hopes for renewed nuclear negotiations between Iran and the US seem to dwindle further, renewing fears of a new military escalation in the region, particularly after the latest Israel-Hamas clashes.
President Trump highlighted his hard-line stance against Iran's nuclear drive in the course of the briefing. "They can't have a nuclear weapon. Very simple. They can't have a nuclear weapon. We're not going to allow that," he reiterated in response to questioning on the chances of diplomacy.
Last month's reports by Axios indicated that Israel had initiated preparations for a rapid military attack on Iran should US-led nuclear talks break down.
Trump has been holding open the possibility of military action if diplomacy fails. Earlier Wednesday, in an interview with the New York Post, he admitted that his faith in Tehran's interest in temporarily halting uranium enrichment—a key American requirement—was fading.
Recent months have seen US intelligence agencies sound the alarm on the risk of Israel attacking Iran's nuclear facilities without advance consultation with Washington.
Iran has threatened in response that such a step—particularly given the close relationship between the US and Israel—would have direct consequences for the United States.
Iran's government made the declaration in a message delivered on Thursday to X.
Iran's Defence Minister, Aziz Nasirzadeh, issued a sharp warning on Wednesday, saying any aggression towards Iran would lead to retaliatory attacks upon American bases in the Middle East.
Pre-empting likely blowback, the US has directed its missions in range of likely Iranian reprisals—in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and North Africa—to implement emergency response measures.
The diplomatic missions have been directed to report on the measures taken to deal with developing threats. The State Department also authorized voluntary departures from US missions in Bahrain and Kuwait.
As an added precaution, Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a revised global travel advisory, saying: "On June 11, the Department of State ordered the departure of non-emergency US government personnel due to heightened regional tensions."
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