PULSE POINTS:
❓What Happened: Multiple voluntary evacuation authorizations have been approved for U.S. diplomatic and military facilities throughout the Middle East. The notices come amid increasing speculation that Israel may be poised to launch a military strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities.
👥 Who’s Involved: The United States, Israel, Iran, Bahrain, Kuwait, and the United Kingdom.
📍 Where & When: The voluntary evacuation advisories were issued on Wednesday, June 11, 2025.
⚠️ Impact: While the move could be simply precautionary, tension in the region has increased in recent weeks, with mounting expectations that Israel will soon move to destroy alleged Iranian nuclear weapons sites.
IN FULL:
The United States government is authorizing the evacuation of all non-essential embassy personnel and dependents of U.S. military service members across the Middle East, amid heightened tensions with the Islamic Republic of Iran. While the exact reason for the evacuations is currently unclear, the Iranian government has stated it will strike U.S. and allied military assets across the region if they are attacked. This has led to rampant speculation that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may be on the precipice of approving a military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Rumors of potential military action were sparked early Wednesday by an advisory from the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operation (UKMTO) office. The advisory stated that vessels were to use caution when transiting the Straits of Hormuz, Gulf of Oman, and Arabian Gulf. The UKMTO office warned that increasing military tensions in the region justified the advisory.
This announcement was followed by a notice preparing for the evacuation of non-essential U.S. embassy personnel in Baghdad, Iraq, early Wednesday afternoon. Several hours later, advisories authorizing the evacuation of non-essential embassy personnel in Kuwait and Bahrain were also issued. Additionally, the U.S. naval base in Bahrain announced that dependents of U.S. military service members could evacuate the region as well.
Subsequently, the Associated Press (AP) reported that the voluntary evacuation authorization has been extended to dependents of U.S. military service members across the entire Middle East.