The United States is withdrawing personnel from key military bases in the Middle East as a precautionary measure due to heightened tensions following protests in Iran, the Pentagon announced. Sky News.
Earlier, the US had advised personnel to leave a key military base in Qatar.
Meanwhile, NBC News reports that hundreds of troops have begun to be evacuated from al Udeid Air Base and are being transferred to other bases and hotels in the region.
Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar is the largest US military base in the region and houses around 10 troops.
This is to remove them from danger if an operation occurs in Iran that could trigger a response from Tehran and endanger American service members in the region, sources tell NBC.
According to an Iranian official, Tehran has warned that it will strike US bases in the region in retaliation for any attack by Washington.
Reuters news agency quotes a senior official as saying that "Tehran has informed countries in the region, from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to Turkey, that US bases in these countries will be attacked if the US attacks Iran... urging these countries to prevent Washington from attacking Iran." /Telegraph/
