The US began evacuating non-essential personnel from diplomatic and military installations across the Middle East after Israel was reported to be readying an operation in Iran.
The partial evacuation of the Iraq embassy, among other staff withdrawals, came as talks between Washington and Tehran over Iran’s nuclear program appeared stalled, with American officials fearing reprisals if Israel follows through on its plans, CBS wrote.
US President Donald Trump held a “tense” call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, telling the Israeli leader that strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities were “off the table for now” despite Netanyahu’s demand that a “credible military threat” be maintained.
A top White House official warned US senators last week that in the event of an Israeli strike, Iran’s retaliation could overwhelm Israel’s defenses and cause mass casualties, Axios reported.