U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has authorized the voluntary evacuation of military dependents from locations across the Middle East, a U.S. defense official said Wednesday.
He said that the safety and security of service members and their families remain the highest priority. Hegseth said the U.S. and Central Command (CENTCOM) are closely monitoring tensions in the region and are in close coordination with the State Department and regional allies.
The United States has a military presence across the major oil-producing region, with bases in Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.
The U.S. State Department has confirmed the evacuation of diplomatic staff from its embassy in Baghdad, Iraq. However, Iraq's state news agency cited a government source as saying Baghdad had not recorded any security indication that called for an evacuation.
Meanwhile, a U.S. official said the State Department had authorized voluntary departures from Bahrain and Kuwait.
The U.S. embassy in Kuwait said in a statement on Wednesday that it had "not changed its staffing posture and remains fully operational."
The State Department updated its worldwide travel advisory on Wednesday evening to reflect the latest U.S. posture.
“On June 11, the Department of State ordered the departure of non-emergency U.S. government personnel due to heightened regional tensions,” the advisory said.
The decision by the U.S. to evacuate some personnel comes at a volatile moment in the region. Trump's efforts to reach a nuclear deal with Iran appear to be deadlocked and U.S. intelligence indicates that Israel has been making preparations for a strike against Iran's nuclear facilities.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday the Middle East "could be a dangerous place," adding that the United States would not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon.
The move follows the warning from Iran’s Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh who said that U.S. military bases in the region would be targeted if a conflict breaks out between Tehran and Washington over Iran’s nuclear program.
Although nuclear talks continue through Oman, disagreements over Iran’s uranium enrichment program persist.
Voice actors across Europe are sounding the alarm over the rise of artificial intelligence in the dubbing industry, warning that the use of AI-generat...
AnewZ and Agenzia di Stampa Italpress have signed a Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation to develop and strengthen ties in the media sector....
President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that the United States will impose a 25% tariff on imports from India starting August 1, along with an a...
The World Bank has announced that Tajikistan's medium-term outlook remains favourable, with growth projected to moderate to 7% in 2025 and converge to...
Azerbaijan will begin supplying 6 million cubic metres of gas to Syria this week under a swap deal with Türkiye, officials said, aiming to boost elec...
Voice actors across Europe are sounding the alarm over the rise of artificial intelligence in the dubbing industry, warning that the use of AI-generated voices could jeopardize jobs, creative quality, and intellectual property rights.
AnewZ and Agenzia di Stampa Italpress have signed a Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation to develop and strengthen ties in the media sector.
President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that the United States will impose a 25% tariff on imports from India starting August 1, along with an additional, unspecified penalty.
Azerbaijan will begin supplying 6 million cubic metres of gas to Syria this week under a swap deal with Türkiye, officials said, aiming to boost electricity generation in the war-torn country.
The world’s biggest dance music festival faces an unexpected setback as a fire destroys its main stage, prompting a last-minute response from organisers determined to keep the party alive in Boom, Belgium.
Australian researchers have created a groundbreaking “biological AI” platform that could revolutionise drug discovery by rapidly evolving molecules within mammalian cells.
Australian researchers have pioneered a low-cost and scalable plasma-based method to produce ammonia gas directly from air, offering a green alternative to the traditional fossil fuel-dependent Haber-Bosch process.
A series of earthquakes have struck Guatemala on Tuesday afternoon, leading authorities to advise residents to evacuate from buildings as a precaution against possible aftershocks.
'Superman' continued to dominate the summer box office, pulling in another $57.25 million in its second weekend, as theatres welcome a wave of blockbuster competition following a challenging few years for the film industry.
The Russian state news agency has reported that Shahin Shykhlinski, head of the Azerbaijani diaspora in Yekaterinburg, has been declared wanted in connection with a criminal offense.
A two-day official visit by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to Türkiye concluded with the signing of 20 agreements aimed at expanding the strategic partnership between the two countries in key areas, including mining and rare earth minerals, space and technology, energy, and logistics.
The 5th meeting of the Kazakhstan–Türkiye High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council, chaired by the two countries’ leaders was held on Tuesday in Ankara. The meeting was focused on strengthening cooperation in the areas of economy, transport, and investment.
President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev arrived in Türkiye on Tuesday for an official visit at the invitation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has launched its new Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) for Azerbaijan for 2025–2029, centred on two key pillars: enabling a green and diversified economy, and fostering low-carbon connectivity and inclusive development.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment