The United States is drawing down the presence of staffers who are not deemed essential to operations in the Middle East and their loved ones due to the potential for regional unrest.

Pete Hegseth authorized U.S. military dependents in the Middle East to voluntarily depart amid increased tension in the Middle East.

The Israeli military warns Iranians to evacuate arms factories, signaling what could be a further widening of the campaign.

The United States is shifting military resources in the Middle East in response to Israel’s strikes on Iran and a possible retaliatory attack by Tehran.

It’s too soon to tell how exactly the current wave of Israeli strikes could transform the region, but one thing is clear: Israel’s actions have fundamentally reshaped the security landscape of the Middle East.

Shapiro served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East until January—charged with, among other things, considering scenarios in which tensions between Israel and Iran escalated into all-out war and preparing U.

Rising tensions with Iran and fears of an Israeli strike prompted the U.S. to move some of its nonmilitary personnel out of the region.

As of mid-2025, there are about 40,000 to 50,000 US troops in the Middle East, comprising personnel stationed in both large, permanent bases and smaller forward sites across the region.

U.S. embassies and military bases across the Middle East are on high alert, as fears grow about an Israeli strike on Iran.

The United States has pulled some diplomatic staff and military families out of the Middle East, citing unspecified regional security risks.

The Ukrainian president says he was informed the U.S. would divert key defensive weapons from Ukraine to the Middle East.