WASHINGTON — A Senate hearing to discuss U.S. forces in the Middle East was postponed Wednesday as the Defense Department authorized the families of troops stationed in the region to leave in the face of rising tensions with Iran. Army Gen. Michael Kurilla, commander of U.S. Central Command, was slated to testify Thursday before the Senate Armed Services Committee about American forces in the region. The hearing was postponed less than 24 hours before it was scheduled to take place, according to a Senate webpage. Earlier in the day, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth authorized “the voluntary departure” of troops’ families from locations across the Middle East due to rising tensions, according to a defense official. U.S. Central Command, which oversees U.S. military operations in the Middle East, was working with the State Department and allies in the region to “maintain a constant state of readiness,” according to the defense official who spoke on condition of anonymity. The State Department also authorized the departure of nonessential personnel and family members from Bahrain and Kuwait. Tensions in the region have been rising in recent days as talks between the U.S. and Iran over its advancing nuclear program appear to have hit an impasse, the Associated Press reported. The talks seek to limit Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of some of the crushing economic sanctions that the U.S. has imposed on the Islamic Republic. Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful. President Donald Trump, who has previously threatened to use military force against Iran if negotiations failed, gave a less-than-optimistic view about reaching a deal with Iran, telling the New York Post’s “Pod Force One” podcast Monday that he was “getting more and more less confident about” a deal. Iranian Defense Minister Gen. Aziz Nasirzadeh told journalists Wednesday that he hoped talks with the U.S. would yield results, though Tehran stood ready to respond, the AP reported. “If conflict is imposed on us, the opponent’s casualties will certainly be more than ours, and in that case, America must leave the region, because all its bases are within our reach,” he said. “We have access to them, and we will target all of them in the host countries without hesitation.”
Read more at: https://www.stripes.com/theaters/middle_east/2025-06-11/centcom-troops-middle-east-iran-18091938.html
Source - Stars and Stripes
The
United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, a Mideast-based effort overseen by
the British navy, issued a statement Wednesday warning ships in the region that
it “has been made aware of increased tensions within the region which could
lead to an escalation of military activity having a direct impact on mariners.”
It urged caution in the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of
Hormuz. It did not name Iran, though those waterways have seen Iranian ship
seizures and attacks in the past. CAITLYN BURCHETT
Read more at: https://www.stripes.com/theaters/middle_east/2025-06-11/centcom-troops-middle-east-iran-18091938.html
Source - Stars and Stripes
MANAMA, Bahrain — Military
family members in the Middle East are now authorized to fly anywhere in the
United States at government expense for up to six months under guidance
released by base officials in Bahrain, as expectations mount of conflict between
Israel and Iran. The decision to depart is voluntary for spouses, children and
other dependents in Bahrain, an island kingdom located less than 100 miles
across the Persian Gulf from Iran. The country hosts the U.S. 5th Fleet. Flight
tickets will be issued through military travel agencies and officials have
discouraged families from booking commercially out of Bahrain. Reimbursement
for out-of-pocket expenses isn’t guaranteed, according to a fact sheet
disseminated by the U.S. military.
https://www.stripes.com/theaters/middle_east/2025-06-12/bahrain-evacuation
Comments
Iran is not likely to give up its plan to produce a nuclear weapon. The US is taking precautions by recalling Military Families and Nonessential Staff to return to the US.
Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader
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