The US State and Defense departments on Wednesday made efforts to arrange the departure of non-essential personnel from locations around the Middle East, according to US officials and sources familiar with the efforts.

The abrupt departure of President Donald Trump from the G7 summit in Canada has fueled global speculation about a potential US intervention in the escalating Middle East conflict. As tensions rise between Israel and Iran,

European foreign ministers told their Iranian counterpart in a call on Monday to return to nuclear negotiations with the U.S. and refrain from escalating conflict with Israel, to which Iran's foreign minister said Tehran's priority was to confront Israel for now, according to a French diplomatic source.

The decision comes against the backdrop of heightened tensions in the Middle East as talks between the US and Iran over its rapidly advancing nuclear program appear to have hit an impasse.

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The United States maintains military bases throughout the key oil-producing region, including in Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates.

The United States is reducing the presence of nonessential staff in the Middle East due to potential unrest stemming from stalled nuclear talks with Iran. The State Department has ordered departures,

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Monday that he has directed “the deployment of additional capabilities” to the Middle East amid escalating tensions in the region. “Protecting US forces is

President Trump said that the withdrawal of non-essential workers and their families was due to the fact that the region ‘could be a dangerous place’ President Trump has confirmed that the US ...