US personnel withdrawal from Israel and tensions with Iran
The United States has allowed non-essential government employees to return home from Israel, the decision was announced on Friday, amid threats of attack on Iran and the largest US military buildup in decades in the Middle East.
Washington took the step a day after talks between Iran and the United States brokered by Oman in a last-ditch effort to avoid war. There was some optimism surrounding the talks at the beginning. However, Tehran has made it clear that any deal will require the United States to back down from its “excessive demands.”
The talks come at a time when US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to attack Iran. At the same time, US forces are increasing their military presence in the region.
The world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, is now off the coast of one of the US allies, Israel. In the meantime, the US embassy in the country has allowed non-essential government employees and their families to leave Israel “due to security concerns.”
The embassy website says, “As long as commercial flights are operating, those concerned may consider leaving Israel.”
The New York Times reported that US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee sent an email to embassy staff on Friday morning, telling them that those who wanted to return home should do so “today.”
The email quoted him as saying, “Please try to secure any available seats to Washington, D.C. at a later date. But the most important thing is to leave the country as soon as possible.”
Earlier, on February 19, Donald Trump gave Iran 15 days to reach a deal. Iran has only wanted to focus on talks over its nuclear program. However, the US also wants to curtail Tehran’s missile program and its support for various armed groups.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that Trump's negotiating team will demand that Iran dismantle three major nuclear facilities and hand over all its enriched uranium to the United States.
Without specifying any demands, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Friday, "To succeed on this path, the other side must be sincere and realistic and avoid any miscalculations and excessive demands."
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