US embassy in Iraq preparing for ordered evacuation due to 'heightened security risks'
The U.S. embassy in Iraq is preparing for an ordered evacuation due to heightened security risks in the region, an Iraqi security official and a U.S. source said on Wednesday.
Iran's Minister of Defense Aziz Nasirzadeh said earlier in the day that Tehran will strike U.S. bases in the region if nuclear talks and conflict arise with Washington.
The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
"The State Department is set to have an ordered departure for (the) U.S. embassy in Baghdad. The intent is to do it through commercial means, but the U.S. military is standing by if help is requested," another U.S. official said.
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