Israel is fully ready to launch an operation into Iran, US officials have been told, multiple sources told CBS News.
The US anticipates Iran could retaliate on certain American sites in neighboring Iraq. This is part of the reason the US advised some Americans to leave the region earlier Wednesday, with the State Department ordering non-emergency government officials to exit Iraq due to "heightened regional tensions", CBS News reported.
US President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff is still planning to meet with Iran for a sixth round of talks on the country's nuclear program in the coming days.
Trump on Thursday while attending a performance of Les Miserables at the Kennedy Center said that the US military personnel are being moved out of some countries in the Middle East because it would otherwise be perilous.
Trump said that Iran cannot have nuclear weapons.
"They (US military personnel) are being moved out (of some countries of the Middle East) because it could be a dangerous place and we will see what happens...We have given notice to move out," he said.
The comments come after failed round of talks of the US with Iran.
"They can't have a nuclear weapon. Very simple. They can't have a nuclear weapon. We're not going to allow that," he said.
The US is withdrawing the presence of people who are not deemed essential to operations in the Middle East due to the potential for regional unrest, the US State Department and military said Wednesday as tensions with neighboring Iran rose amid deteriorating nuclear talks, as per The Times of Israel.
"President Trump is committed to keeping Americans safe, both at home and abroad. In keeping with that commitment, we are constantly assessing the appropriate personnel posture at all our embassies. Based on our latest analysis, we decided to reduce the footprint of our Mission in Iraq," a State Department official told The Times of Israel.
The department also authorized the departure of nonessential personnel and family members from Bahrain and Kuwait, giving them an option on whether to leave the country, as per The Times of Israel.
Tensions in the region have been rising in recent days as talks between the US and Iran over its rapidly advancing nuclear program appear to have hit an impasse.
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