US President Donald Trump said US personnel were being moved out of the Middle East due to faltering nuclear talks with Iran threatening to derail the security situation.
"Well they are being moved out because it could be a dangerous place," Trump told reporters in Washington when questioned about reports of personnel being moved.
"We've given notice to move out and we'll see what happens."
When asked how the tensions in the region could be dialed down, Trump then added: "They can't have a nuclear weapon, very simple. We're not going to allow that."
According to reports, the US embassy in Iraq was preparing for a partial evacuation, with permission being granted for voluntary departures from Bahrain and Kuwait.
The State Department updated its worldwide travel advisory on Wednesday reflecting the latest developments. "On June 11, the Department of State ordered the departure of non-emergency US government personnel due to heightened regional tensions," the advisory said.
Trump has repeatedly threatened to strike Iran if talks over its nuclear programme fell flat.
The US president on Wednesday said he was growing less confident that Tehran would agree to stop enriching uranium, which is a key US demand.
Iran's Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh on Wednesday that if Iran were to be attacked, then it would retaliate by hitting US bases in the region. The US has military bases in Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, among others.
