‘Keeping Americans safe’: Why US is pulling staff from the Middle East as nuclear talks with Iran stall

The United States is reducing its diplomatic and military footprint in parts of the Middle East amid rising tensions with Iran, as nuclear negotiations appear to stall and regional instability looms. The State Department on Wednesday ordered the departure of all nonessential staff from the US Embassy in Baghdad, citing a commitment “to keeping Americans safe, both at home and abroad.” The embassy had already been operating with limited staff.Additionally, the State Department is authorising the optional departure of nonessential personnel and family members from diplomatic posts in Bahrain and Kuwait. The US military is also following suit, with Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth approving the voluntary departure of military dependents from multiple locations across the region. US Central Command said it is “monitoring the developing tension.”White House spokesperson Anna Kelly noted that the decisions came after a regular review of American personnel abroad. “This decision was made as a result of a recent review,” she said.The move comes as efforts to revive the stalled US-Iran nuclear negotiations face fresh setbacks. Talks aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear programme in exchange for sanction relief have reportedly reached a deadlock, with the next round—originally planned for this weekend in Oman—now in doubt. Two US officials, speaking anonymously, said it was increasingly unlikely the talks would go ahead.President Donald Trump offered a pessimistic assessment in a recent interview, saying he is “getting more and more less confident about” reaching a deal. “They seem to be delaying, and I think that’s a shame,” he told the New York Post podcast Pod Force One.Iran, meanwhile, rejected threats of force. “Iran is not seeking a nuclear weapon, and US militarism only fuels instability,” its mission to the UN wrote online. Defence Minister Gen. Aziz Nasirzadeh added that if war were imposed, “the opponent’s casualties will certainly be more than ours,” warning the US that its regional bases “are within our reach.”Separately, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors is considering a censure resolution against Iran, which could trigger the reimposition of UN sanctions under the still-active 2015 nuclear deal. The US withdrew from that deal during Trump’s first term.Amid the growing risk of conflict, the UK’s Maritime Trade Operations Centre warned ships to exercise caution in the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, and Gulf of Oman—areas where Iran has previously seized or attacked vessels.