US scales back personnel in Middle East as Israel-Iran tensions mount
by Filip Timotija - 06/11/25 4:50 PM ET
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The United States is scaling back the number of personnel in the Middle East as the tensions between longtime foes Israel and Iran mount.
The U.S. is downsizing its footprint in Iraq, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has greenlighted the departures of military dependents across Northeast Africa, the Middle East, and portions of South and Central Asia.
“President Trump is committed to keeping Americans safe, both at home and abroad. In keeping with that commitment, we are constantly assessing the appropriate personnel posture at all our embassies,” a State Department official told The Hill in an emailed statement on Wednesday. “Based on our latest analysis, we decided to reduce the footprint of our Mission in Iraq.”
A defense official told The Hill’s sister network NewsNation that “Hegseth has authorized the voluntary departure of military dependents from locations across the CENTCOM AOR.”
“CENTCOM is working in close coordination with our Department of State counterparts, as well as our Allies and partners in the region to maintain a constant state of readiness to support any number of missions around the world at any time,” the defense official added.
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