On 14th January (Wednesday), a United States official announced that the country is removing some of its troops from Middle Eastern facilities, reported Reuters. The development transpired after a senior Iranian official’s claim that Tehran had threatened its neighbours with striking American outposts in the event of a Washington-initiated attack.
According to a US official, the withdrawal from some important bases is a preventive measure in light of the increased instability in the region. A Western military official disclosed, “All the signals are that a US attack is imminent, but that is also how this administration behaves to keep everyone on their toes. Unpredictability is part of the strategy.”
The move could occur within the next 24 hours, according to two European officials. Additionally, an Israeli official stated that it seemed President Donald Trump had made up his mind, even though the timing or scale of the action remains unknown. Qatar declared that the reduction from the largest American air station in the Middle East, Al Udeid, is “being undertaken in response to the current regional tensions.”
Three envoys mentioned that orders have been given to some personnel to leave the installation. The US embassy in Doha has also instructed its staff to be more cautious and to avoid visiting the Al-Udeid air station for non-essential purposes.
The United Kingdom is also following suit with the drawdown of its personnel from Al-Udeid air base. Al-Udeid hosts almost 10,000 US officials and about 100 British staff. According to a government official, the British embassy in Tehran has been temporarily closed by the Foreign Office and is going to function remotely, reported BBC.
The United States maintains forces throughout the region, including the Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain and the forward headquarters of its Central Command in Al Udeid.
Iran even closed its airspace due to worries of a US assault before opening it again early on 15th January (Thursday). The majority of arriving and leaving planes were not allowed for 5 hours. As of 4 am UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) the majority of planes were still avoiding Iranian airspace, per real-time data from flight tracker FlightRadar24, however several local carriers had resumed their flights.
Iran’s warning to US, assassination threat to President Trump
The Islamic Republic is attempting to dissuade Trump from repeatedly warning of intervention on favour of anti-government demonstrators as its leadership works to put an end to the biggest internal unrest in the nation. The speaker of Iran’s parliament also emphasised that Israel and the US military, as well as shipping establishments in the area would be acceptable targets if the nation comes under assault.
The Iranian official conveyed that Tehran has requested regional US allies to stop Washington. The person revealed, “Tehran has told regional countries, from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Turkey, that US bases in those countries will be attacked,” if Iran is hit.
The official also highlighted that direct communication between US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi had been cut off. Iran vowed to react “decisively” to any action taken against it.
Iranian state television even displayed a provocative image from Tump’s rally in Butler of Pennsylvania, where he was grazed by a bullet. It used visual from the July 2024 assassination attempt at the campaign event to directly threaten him, alongside a message which read, “This time it (the bullet) will not miss the target.”
Islamic republic state TV just crossed a red line. Airing an image of President Trump after an attempted assassination (by the regime) along with a Persian message reading “this time, the bullet won’t miss.” This is a direct threat against the President. pic.twitter.com/g4UUwnxEYX
— Emily Schrader – אמילי שריידר امیلی شریدر (@emilykschrader) January 14, 2026
Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi also warned Trump in an interview with Fox and expressed, “My message is do not repeat the same mistake that you did in June. If you try a failed experience, you will get the same result. You know in June, you destroyed the facilities, the machines, but the technology cannot be bombed. And the determination also cannot be bombed.”
“We are not looking for war, but we are prepared for war, even more prepared than the previous war,” Araghchi had earlier told a conference of foreign ambassadors in the capital as other officials tried to tone down their anti-US criticism before the recent escalation.
Trump evaluates a potential strike on Iran
Washington began to consider the potential of striking Iran as Trump had an extensive talk with his advisers on the subject of Iran on 13th January, reported Channel 12 news. According to an American insider, he “will have to do something within a day or two at the latest” because “the bloodshed in Iran is continuing.”
Trump has been given multiple choices, such as fresh attacks on Iran’s ballistic missile program or its nuclear program, which the US and Israel targeted in June, reported The New York Times. Cyberattacks and operations on the nation’s internal security systems were “more likely” than attacking nuclear or missile installations. However, it will probably take “at least several days” for the Trump administration’s chosen course of action to become clear.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt noted that airstrikes are “one of the many, many options that are on the table,” but “diplomacy is always the first option for the president.” She asserted, “What you’re hearing publicly from the Iranian regime is quite different from the messages the administration is receiving privately and I think the president has an interest in exploring those messages.”
Trump has been threatening Iran with military action for days amid the relentless anti-government protests. He also announced to take “very strong action” against Iran if it proceeds with the execution of agitators, following the news of Erfan Soltan (26), the first protester sentenced to death since the onset of the current unrest.
“If they hang them, you’re going to see some things. We will take very strong action if they do such a thing,” he stressed in a CBS interview. The hanging has been postponed for now. Afterwards, Trump outlined that he had spoken to “very important sources on the other side” and that he would monitor the situation, though he did not rule out possible US military engagement. However, he added that a “very good statement” was received from Iran.
“We have been notified pretty strongly, but we’ll find out what all that means. We’ve been told that the killing in Iran is stopping,” he insisted and added, “There was supposed to be a lot of executions today, and those won’t take place. We’ve been told on good authority, and I hope it’s true, but who knows.”
The protests that began in the last week of December have persisted unabated and have only intensified with time. Furthermore, internet and telephone services were suspended by the government for several days. However, the restrictions were later relaxed, allowing people to make calls abroad, although they could not receive them. Likewise, internet and texting services were not reinstated. Meanwhile, Trump voiced his support for the agitation and cautioned Iran against any severe crackdown, which exacerbated the already deteriorating relationship between the two sides and heightened the fear of a military confrontation.
