ISLAMABAD: Amid escalating tensions driven by nationwide protests in Iran and threats by US President Donald Trump to intervene in support of demonstrators, international news agency Reuters has reported that the United States may launch a military intervention in Iran within the next 24 hours.
According to the report, the US has begun withdrawing some of its personnel from military bases across the Middle East, a move widely viewed as an early indicator of a possible American strike. The development comes as tensions in the region continue to intensify.
A US official told Reuters that the precautionary withdrawals were ordered after Iran warned neighbouring countries that American military bases in the region would be targeted if the US carried out an attack.
Another US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said personnel were being pulled back from key military installations due to the rapidly deteriorating security situation. In a related development, Britain has also begun withdrawing some of its staff from an airbase in Qatar.
A Western military official was quoted by Reuters as saying that “all signs point to the possibility of a US attack in the near future.”
Two European officials told the news agency that US military action could take place within the next 24 hours. Meanwhile, an Israeli official said it appeared that President Trump had already decided to intervene, although there was no final clarity on the timing or scale of the operation.
Qatar has confirmed that staff numbers are being reduced at Al Udeid Air Base — the largest US military base in the Middle East — citing “current regional tensions” as the reason for the move.
