U.S. to Partially Evacuate Iraq Embassy as Tensions With Iran Rise

The U.S. plans to partially evacuate its embassy in Iraq amid rising tensions between the U.S. and Iran, officials told multiple media outlets on Wednesday.

U.S. staffers who are deemed nonessential will be removed from the embassy in Baghdad, the State Department told The Associated Press.

Reuters reported that four U.S. and two Iraqi unnamed sources confirmed the news, but the sources didn’t share with the news outlet what security risks sparked the move. In a statement to the New York Times, the State Department said it had decided to reduce its diplomatic presence in Iraq, but didn’t specify how many officials would be removed from the country. 

The AP reported that the State Department is authorizing nonessential staffers and their families to depart Bahrain and Kuwait as well.

The decision comes amid heightened tensions between the U.S. and Iran as the countries’ negotiations over a potential nuclear deal appear to have stalled. In a podcast released on Wednesday, President Donald Trump said that he is growing “less confident” about the possibility of reaching an agreement with Iran that would limit the country’s ability to develop nuclear weapons.

Trump has previously threatened to bomb Iran if negotiations over its nuclear program fail. Iranian Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh said Wednesday that Iran would strike U.S. military bases in the region if talks fail and conflict with the U.S. escalates.

A U.K. maritime trade agency issued a public advisory on Wednesday, cautioning commercial vessels in the area. The agency said that it had “been made aware of increased tensions within the region which could lead to an escalation of military activity having a direct impact on mariners.”