US to partially evacuate embassy to Iraq, due to rising tensions with Iran

U.S. government sources have said that the non-subsistent staff of the US Embassy and people depending on them in Baghdad will be evacuated from Iraq due to high security risks.

Officials did not say exactly what caused the departure, but were told Israel was ready to launch an operation in Iran, according to CBS.

That was part of the reason why some Americans were advised to leave the region, officials said, adding that they predicted Iran could avenge some American bases in Iraq, writes BBC, broadcast Periscope.

This comes as US talks on Iran's nuclear programme appear to have stalled in recent days.

The US envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, is still planning to hold talks with Iran on his nuclear programme Sunday, officials told CBS.

Witkoff will meet with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Arghchi in Muscat, according to Axios.

A US State Department official recently told the BBC that “we are constantly assessing the proper position of personnel in all our embassies”.

“Based on our last analysis, we decided to reduce the trace of our mission to Iraq”.

US President Donald Trump said earlier that Americans were advised to leave the region “because it could be a dangerous place and we'll see what happens”.

Trump also reiterated that the US did not want Iran to develop a nuclear weapon.

“We will not allow this”, he said.

The president hopes to reach an agreement to prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon.

Earlier this week, he made a 40-minute phone call, which was said to be tense “, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyyah, who has long argued about a military rather than diplomatic approach.