U.S. asks some personnel to leave Saudi Arabia, shifts regional troops

The U.S. State Department asked non-emergency personnel and their families in Saudi Arabia to leave the country. NBC News reported that the Pentagon had also quietly moved some troops from bases in Jordan, Qatar and Kuwait to other locations.

The United States has begun reducing its diplomatic and military presence in the Middle East because of threats originating from Iran and rising tensions in the region. The State Department asked non-emergency personnel and their families in Saudi Arabia to leave the country.

Reuters had reported, citing three unnamed U.S. officials, that similar decisions were being prepared for several major embassies in the Gulf. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the decision applied only to Saudi Arabia and denied reports that personnel were also being withdrawn from the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Qatar and Bahrain.

El Udeyd Hava Üssü'nde bir ABD yakıt ikmal uçağı

NBC News reported, citing two U.S. officials, that the Pentagon had moved some troops from bases in Jordan, Qatar and Kuwait to other locations in recent days. The move came as military commanders presented President Donald Trump with new options for attacks against Iran. The Pentagon said it routinely relocates forces and would not provide details for operational security reasons.

Houthi attacks in Saudi Arabia had increased in recent days, and two people were killed in a drone attack targeting Aramco's Shaybah oil field. The war between the United States and Israel, on the one hand, and Iran, on the other, began on February 28, and a ceasefire was declared in April.

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