Tension in the Middle East.. Washington begins evacuating military families from the Gulf.

The United States has allowed the families of American military personnel to leave Bahrain and Kuwait as a temporary precaution due to escalating tensions in the Middle East, according to a U.S. official speaking to Reuters. Ensuring the safety of American soldiers and their families is of utmost priority, with U.S. Central Command closely monitoring the regional situation and coordinating with the State Department and Washington's allies to ensure full readiness. Similarly, the U.S. State Department has permitted non-essential employees and their families to depart from Bahrain and Kuwait. The U.S. Secretary of Defense has also authorized the voluntary departure of military families from various locations in the Middle East amidst growing security concerns. This decision by the U.S. follows Israeli threats of the use of force, prompting Washington to take these precautionary measures. Nevertheless, the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait continues its operations, regularly assessing the security situation. In Iraq, the United States has begun evacuating a number of foreign employees working for logistical support companies at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad as part of a plan to reduce operational costs implemented by the U.S. State Department in several missions worldwide. However, an Iraqi government source denied the existence of any security threat necessitating the evacuation of employees, confirming that no direct threat has been observed. These developments come amid escalating tensions in the region, especially with the ongoing war in Gaza, and amid indications of a possible escalation between the United States and Israel on one side, and Iran and its allies on the other. U.S. sources confirmed that the White House and President Donald Trump were aware of the evacuation plan, which came after a periodic review of the security situation. In this context, the International Atomic Energy Agency announced that Iran has reached a concerning level of uranium enrichment. Trump emphasized that his confidence in reaching an agreement with Iran is diminishing, stressing that halting enrichment is a fundamental requirement, while the Iranian Defense Minister warned of a military response targeting U.S. bases if Tehran is attacked. Iran's mission to the United Nations denied any intention to possess nuclear weapons, accusing the United States of fueling instability in the region.