US orders departure of staff from Middle East

The United States has ordered the departure of nonessential staff from several diplomatic and military posts across the Middle East, citing rising regional tensions and the growing uncertainty around stalled nuclear talks with Iran. The State Department on Wednesday directed nonessential personnel to leave the US Embassy in Baghdad.

It also authorized voluntary departure for staff and family members in Bahrain and Kuwait. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also approved the optional exit of military dependents across the region, according to US Central Command.

“These decisions are based on the most recent security assessments and our unwavering commitment to the safety of Americans abroad,” said White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly.

The move comes amid faltering negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program, which US officials say appears to be nearing a critical impasse.

The sixth round of talks, tentatively planned for this weekend in Oman, now appears unlikely to proceed.

President Donald Trump, speaking on the "Pod Force One" podcast, voiced skepticism about the potential for a deal. “I’m getting more and more less confident about it,” he said, blaming delays on Tehran and hinting at potential military action should diplomacy fail.

In response, Iran’s Defense Minister Gen. Aziz Nasirzadeh warned that any conflict would place all US bases in the region within Iranian reach. “If conflict is imposed on us, the opponent’s casualties will certainly be more than ours,” he said, adding that Tehran was fully prepared to retaliate.

The situation has also prompted maritime security concerns. The UK Maritime Trade Operations center issued a warning to vessels transiting the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, and Strait of Hormuz, citing potential military escalation.

Meanwhile, the International Atomic Energy Agency is considering a motion to censure Iran over its nuclear activities — a move that could reactivate UN sanctions suspended under the 2015 nuclear deal, which the Trump administration exited during his first term.

While the US drawdown affects only limited personnel, it signals growing concern about the stability of the region. Iraqi officials, however, downplayed the threat, noting no direct indicators of danger in Baghdad.

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US attempt to control oil movement in Gulf

The US military will work to bolster the defensive posture in the Gulf region following Iran's seizure and harassment of commercial shipping vessels in recent months, US officials said on Friday.

In the past two years, Iran has harassed, attacked or interfered with the navigational rights of 15 internationally flagged commercial vessels, officials said.

"The Department of Defense will be making a series of moves to bolster our defensive posture in the Arabian Gulf," White House spokesperson John Kirby told a news briefing.

Kirby added that in the coming weeks there would be an attempt to increase coordination and interoperability with allies in the Strait of Hormuz.

The US Navy's Bahrain-based Fifth Fleet said it was working with regional allies to increase the rotation of ships and aircraft patrolling around the Strait of Hormuz.

"Iran's unwarranted, irresponsible and unlawful seizure and harassment of merchant vessels must stop," the Fifth Fleet's commander, Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, said in a statement.

A spokesperson from the US military's Florida-based Central Command, which oversees American forces in the Middle East, said the United States was discussing options with regional partners.

"Any decisions about force posture will be made after consulting with our allies and will be consistent with the collective desire to ensure the safety and freedom of navigation for all nations," the spokesperson said.

The moves come after Iran seized a second oil tanker in a week in Gulf waters earlier this month, and the State Department called for its release in the latest escalation in a series of actions against commercial vessels in Gulf waters since 2019.

The US Navy said on May 3 the Panama-flagged oil tanker Niovi was seized by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy while passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Days earlier, Iran had seized a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman.

Kirby said the United States strongly condemns actions that threaten and interfere with commercial shipping, and will not allow foreign powers to jeopardize navigating Middle East waterways.

About a fifth of the world's crude oil and oil products passes through the Strait of Hormuz, a choke point between Iran and Oman, according to data from analytics firm Vortexa.