The United States is withdrawing some personnel from key bases in the region as a precaution given heightened regional tensions, a US official told Reuters on Wednesday, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The disclosure follows remarks by a senior Iranian official who told Reuters earlier on Wednesday that Tehran had warned neighbors hosting US troops that it would hit American bases if Washington strikes.
This comes shortly after personnel were instructed specifically to depart the US military's Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar by Wednesday evening, according to Reuters, amid warnings from Washington that it could intervene to protect protesters in Iran.
The US embassy in Doha had no immediate comment, and Qatar's Foreign Affairs Ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for confirmation or comment.
Al Udeid is the Middle East's largest US base, housing around 10,000 troops.
"It's a posture change and not an ordered evacuation," one of the diplomats told Reuters. The diplomat said he was not aware that a specific reason had been given for the posture change.
Earlier on Wednesday, a senior Iranian official told Reuters that Iran warned regional countries that it would strike US military bases in those countries in case of a US attack.
"Tehran has told regional countries, from Saudi Arabia and UAE to Turkey, that US bases in those countries will be attacked if the US targets Iran... asking these countries to prevent Washington from attacking Iran," the official told Reuters.
US President Donald Trump’s warnings to the Islamic Republic have included threats of military force. Trump also warned Iran against retaliating against the US, saying that if it did so, the US would respond at levels “never seen before.”
Iranian official confirms Washington-Tehran communications halted
The Iranian official also told Reuters that direct communications between Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff have been suspended.
The senior official added that US threats undermine diplomatic efforts and that potential meetings between the two officials to find a diplomatic solution to a decades-long nuclear dispute have been canceled.
The comments confirm a statement made by Trump on Tuesday, when the president posted on his Truth Social social media platform that he had canceled all meetings with Iranian officials.
The official’s comments also come in the wake of an Axios report on Monday stating that Araghchi had "reached out" to Witkoff over the weekend and that the two discussed the ongoing protests in Iran.