Hegseth Authorizes Military Dependents’ Voluntary Departure From the Middle East Following Iranian Threat
The Iranian defense minister says American bases could be attacked if nuclear talks go south.
Secretary Hegseth is authorizing the voluntary departure of military dependents in the Middle East following a threat from Iran’s defense minister, a senior Department of Defense official tells the Sun. The American embassy in Iraq is also preparing to partially evacuate.
On Wednesday morning, the Iranian defense minister, Aziz Nasirzadeh, said in a speech that Iran is not taking military strikes against American assets off the table ahead of negotiations related to his country’s nuclear program.
“Some officials on the other side threaten conflict if negotiations don’t come to fruition. If a conflict is imposed on us … all U.S. bases are within our reach and we will boldly target them in host countries,” Mr. Nasirzadeh said, according to Al Jazeera.
A source at the Pentagon tells the Sun that Mr. Hegseth has authorized the departure of dependents, if they choose to do so, across the entirety of Central Command’s jurisdiction. That area of operation stretches from Egypt to Pakistan.
“U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) is monitoring the developing tension in the Middle East,” the source tells the Sun. “Secretary of Defense Pete 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,” the source adds.
An authorization for voluntary departure from the State and Defense Departments encourages non-essential personnel to depart the region, though it is not mandatory. Those choosing to leave are either boarded on to military aircraft or given commercial flight allowances in order to depart the area.
The move comes as the American embassy in Iraq is reportedly considering a partial evacuation. According to Reuters, an undisclosed number of diplomats and security officials are planning to leave the country following the threat from Iran’s defense minister, though officials did not confirm if Mr. Nasirzadeh’s comments precipitated the move.
