US withdrawing troops from key Mideast bases as tensions with Iran spiral

The United States is withdrawing personnel from key bases in the Middle East as a precaution given heightened regional tensions, a US official told Reuters on Wednesday, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The development coincides with reports that direct contact between senior officials from the United States and Iran have broken down, and follow an Iranian warning of attacking US bases in the region.

Communication lines between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US special envoy Steve Witkoff have been suspended, an unnamed senior official said, amid US President Donald Trump’s repeated threats of military intervention to “protect civilian protesters from a crackdown.”

Iran has alleged that the people’s protests over economic hardships has been turned violent by a group of “terrorists and criminals” funded by Israel and the US.

Tehran is working to “deter the riots by terrorists,” it has said.

Earlier on Wednesday, a senior Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran had warned neighbours hosting US troops that it would hit American bases if Washington strikes.

Three American diplomats also told Reuters that some personnel have been advised to leave the US military's Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest US base in the region, by Wednesday evening.

Iranian Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh has warned it would repel unprovoked US military strikes “with the full force and until the last drop of blood,” in response to

Iran has “many surprises” in store for any enemy that attacks it, the brigadier general said.

“If these (Trump’s) threats are turned into action, we will defend the country with full force and until the last drop of blood, and our defence would be painful to them,” Nasirzadeh said at a security meeting, according to Press TV.

He also warned countries that provide assistance for any strike on Iran that they “will be legitimate targets”.

Damage caused by Israel’s 12-day war on Iran in June has been repaired and “the military production capacity increased”, Nasirzadeh said.