The U.S. and UK are reducing personnel at Qatar’s Al-Udeid air base as President Donald Trump weighs possible action against Iran over its violent crackdown on protesters.
Officials said the partial U.S. withdrawal is a “precautionary measure,” with some UK military personnel also being pulled. Qatar’s government said the steps reflect “current regional tensions.”
Al-Udeid is the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East, hosting around 10,000 U.S. personnel and about 100 UK staff. It remains unclear how many will leave.
A UK Ministry of Defence spokesperson declined to comment, citing operational security according to the BBC.
Reuters reports that some personnel had been advised to leave but there was no sign of a mass evacuation.
"All the signals are that a U.S. attack is imminent, but that is also how this administration behaves to keep everyone on their toes. Unpredictability is part of the strategy," a Western military official told Reuters later on Wednesday.
The move follows Trump’s warning that Iran would face “very strong action” if protesters are executed. Rights groups say more than 2,400 demonstrators have been killed in recent unrest.
Iran has warned it would retaliate against any U.S. attack. Senior adviser Ali Shamkhani said Tehran’s response capability had already been demonstrated during past confrontations.
The U.S. mission in Saudi Arabia has also urged staff and citizens to limit non-essential travel to military sites in the region.
At the White House, however, Trump suggested he was adopting a wait-and-see posture toward the crisis.
Trump told reporters that he has been told that killings in the Iranian government's crackdown on the protests were subsiding and that he believes there is currently no plan for large-scale executions.
Asked who told him that the killings had stopped, Trump described them as "very important sources on the other side."
The president did not rule out potential U.S. military action, saying "we are going to watch what the process is" before noting that his administration had received a "very good statement" from Iran.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Wednesday "there is no plan" by Iran to hang people, when asked about the anti-government protests.
"There is no plan for hanging at all," the foreign minister told Fox News in an interview on the "Special Report with Bret Baier" show.
"Hanging is out of the question," Araqchi said.
According to the Norway-based Iran Human Rights Society, hangings are common in Iranian prisons.
The U.N. Security Council is due to meet on Iran on Thursday at the request of the United States.
The protests began in late December over economic hardship and have since evolved into one of the most serious challenges to Iran’s leadership in decades.
Kazakhstan and Iran have agreed to accelerate cooperation on transport corridors, giving Kazakhstan access to key Iranian ports in a move aimed at str...
A U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the war has been signed electronically by President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud ...
Thailand is reviving plans for one of its most ambitious infrastructure projects in decades, a proposed $30 billion “Land Bridge” that would conne...
An exiled Russian artist has been shot dead in Poland days after he carried out a one-man protest against Vladimir Putin, featuring a caricature of th...
U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has delivered a stark message to North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) allies, warning that some member stat...
Kazakhstan and Iran have agreed to accelerate cooperation on transport corridors, giving Kazakhstan access to key Iranian ports in a move aimed at strengthening trade routes and reducing reliance on transit routes through neighbouring countries.
A U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the war has been signed electronically by President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, even as tensions persist on the ground, with Israel continuing military operations in southern Lebanon.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 18 June, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has announced that Italy will reopen its embassy in Tehran on Friday (19 June), marking a rare reversal in a period of heightened regional instability and disrupted diplomatic ties across the Middle East.
Donald Trump has said the U.S. will resume bombing Iran if Tehran doesn't "behave," at the sidelines of the G7 summit in France. Earlier, the U.S. President criticised Israel for its tactics against Hezbollah, saying it was unnecessary to bomb entire apartment buildings to tackle militants.
U.S. President Donald Trump said a preliminary agreement to end the war in the Gulf has been signed by the U.S. and Iran, though details have yet to be made public and both countries said a permanent truce is yet to be negotiated.
A cyber extortion group has claimed it stole more than a terabyte of data from Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk after the company allegedly refused to pay a $25 million ransom.
Pakistan's heavy reliance on imported energy was laid bare by the U.S.-Iran conflict, which disrupted regional supplies, drove up costs and exposed vulnerabilities in the country's energy security. However, a proposed peace agreement now offers hope for economic relief.
American technology company Snap has launched its first augmented-reality (AR) glasses for consumers, marking a major push into wearable computing as tech firms race to redefine personal devices in the AI era.
Thailand is reviving plans for one of its most ambitious infrastructure projects in decades, a proposed $30 billion “Land Bridge” that would connect the Gulf of Thailand with the Andaman Sea and offer an alternative trade route to the busy Strait of Malacca.
U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has delivered a stark message to North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) allies, warning that some member states are falling short on defence commitments and signalling a tougher U.S. approach as the alliance prepares for its upcoming summit in Ankara.
North Korea has withdrawn its ambassador to the United Kingdom just one month after he arrived in London, in a move linked to British sanctions on a children's camp, according to reports.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has told U.S. President Donald Trump to "stay out" of Brazil's upcoming election, pushing back against comments made by the American leader about the country's political situation.
Russia and Ukraine exchanged new attacks overnight on Thursday. Missiles struck Kyiv while Ukrainian drones hit a major oil refinery in Moscow, just hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held talks with U.S. President Donald Trump and European leaders on efforts to end the war.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment