In a statement, the State Department said the move was based on the latest assessments of the security situation and forms part of a broader adjustment to the mission’s operation in Iraq.

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth authorized family members of American troops to voluntarily leave several military establishments in the Middle East, primarily in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Iraq.

US President Donald Trump confirmed the personnel shifts, stressing that the Middle East "can be a dangerous place" and reaffirmed that the US will not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons.

On the same day, the UK Foreign Office and Maritime Agency also issued security warnings, urging vessels to exercise caution when navigating through the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, and the Strait of Hormuz—sensitive maritime areas bordering Iran.