WASHINGTON: Israel appears to be preparing to launch an attack on Iran in the near future, US media reported while citing officials from the United States and Europe — a move that could derail or delay efforts by the Trump administration to broker a nuclear deal.
According to the US media reports, concerns over a possible Israeli strike and the risk of Iranian retaliation prompted the United States on Wednesday to withdraw diplomats from Iraq and authorise the voluntary departure of US military family members from the Middle East.
The scale of the potential Israeli attack remains unclear. However, tensions have been mounting for months, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urging President Trump to launch a strike.
Trump had earlier dismissed the Israeli proposal, stating that he wanted an opportunity to negotiate a deal with Tehran.
Just two weeks ago, Trump revealed that he had cautioned Prime Minister Netanyahu against carrying out a strike while US negotiations with Iran were still in progress.
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump stated that US personnel were being relocated from the Middle East because “it could be a dangerous place,” reaffirming that the United States would not permit Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon.
According to US media reports, four US and two Iraqi sources did not say what security risks had prompted the decision, and reports of the potential evacuation pushed up oil prices by more than 4%.
A US official said the State Department had authorized voluntary departures from Bahrain and Kuwait.
The State Department updated its global travel advisory on Wednesday evening to reflect the latest US stance.
“On June 11, the Department of State ordered the departure of non-emergency US government personnel due to heightened regional tensions,” the advisory said.
The US decision to evacuate some personnel comes at a highly volatile time in the region.
President Trump’s attempts to secure a nuclear deal with Iran appear to be at an impasse, while US intelligence suggests that Israel has been actively preparing for a potential strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
“They are being moved out because it could be a dangerous place, and we’ll see what happens,” Trump told reporters. “We’ve given notice to move out.”
Trump has repeatedly warned that he may launch a strike on Iran if negotiations over its nuclear programme collapse.
In an interview released earlier on Wednesday, he expressed growing doubt that Tehran would agree to halt uranium enrichment – a key demand from the United States.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Defence Minister Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh had warned that if the nuclear negotiations fail and the war breaks out, the adversary will certainly suffer heavier casualties and the US will be forced to leave the region.
“The US will have no choice but to leave the region, as all of its bases are within the reach of Iranian military and they will not hesitate to target all of them in their host countries,” General Nasirzadeh said as quoted by IRNA.
The United States maintains a military presence throughout the key oil-producing region, with bases in Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has authorised the voluntary departure of military dependents from various locations across the Middle East, according to a US official.
Another official noted that this measure primarily affects family members based in Bahrain, where most of them are stationed.
“The State Department is preparing for an ordered departure from the US Embassy in Baghdad.
The plan is to facilitate this through commercial means, although the US military is on standby should additional assistance be required,” a third official stated.
