The United States has ordered all non-essential government employees to leave Iraq immediately, citing escalating tensions with Iran. The State Department instructed staff at the US Embassy in Baghdad and consulate in Erbil to depart as soon as possible, with visa services suspended temporarily.
The move comes as Iran's Revolutionary Guards commander, Major General Hossein Salami, warned his forces are 'on the cusp of a full-scale confrontation with the enemy.' He described the current moment as the most decisive of the Islamic revolution, according to the Fars news agency.
The US has deployed additional military assets to the Middle East, including an aircraft carrier, B-52 bombers, and Patriot missiles, in response to what it says are Iranian threats. However, a senior British commander has cast doubt on the imminence of such threats, and Tehran has dismissed the US claims as 'psychological warfare.'
Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, stated that enriching uranium to weapons-grade levels would not be difficult, though he insisted 'no one is seeking war.' A senior Iranian official said Tehran is ready for all scenarios, from confrontation to diplomacy, but warned that any conflict would have 'unimaginable consequences.'
Tensions have been further inflamed by the sabotage of four oil tankers off the UAE coast and a drone attack on Saudi oil installations claimed by Iran-backed Houthi rebels. The incidents have shaken global energy markets, with Brent crude prices remaining around $71 a barrel.
