Military removing some personnel from bases in Middle East

By Sarah Roderick-Fitch
The Center Square

The U.S. military is withdrawing certain personnel from bases throughout the Middle East as President Donald Trump weighs “serious options” against the Iranian regime, according to multiple reports.

The withdrawal comes amid heightened tensions in the region as the president examines military strikes on Iran, as the regime is reportedly retaliating against protesters.

The International Media Office of the State of Qatar confirmed that “certain personnel” were departing from Al Udeid Air Base, saying that “measures are being undertaken in response to the current regional tensions.”

There is no indication whether the personnel refers to members of the armed forces or civilians.

There are several military bases located throughout the Middle East, including Al Udeid Air Base and a naval base in Bahrain, which is home to the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet.

The Islamic Republic targeted the air base in retaliation for the U.S. strikes against the country’s nuclear facilities in June. At the time Iran shot over a dozen missiles targeting U.S. military bases in Qatar, with Iran giving the U.S. prior notice of the intended strikes. The missiles were successfully intercepted in the air.

The president has been ratcheting up threats against the Islamic Republic in recent days, including a social media post telling Iranian protesters that “help is on its way.”

“Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING – Take OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!! Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Tuesday morning. “I have cancelled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS…MIGA [Make Iran Great Again].”

The post came on Trump threatened to imposed a 25% tariff on any country doing business with Iran.

Trump told reporters late Sunday evening on board Air Force One that he and the military are looking very seriously at responding to reports that the Iranian regime is killing protesters.

Earlier in the month, the president issued a stern warning to the regime if it retaliated against protesters.

“If Iran shoots and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United State of America will come to their rescue. We are locked and loaded and ready to go,” the president posted to his Truth Social account.

Trump told reporters Sunday evening that he is receiving “hourly updates” and that he is “looking at some very strong options.”

Retaliation against protesters in the Islamic Republic adds more fuel to the fire as the president is eyeing the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program.

During the last week of December, Trump hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, when the two leaders reportedly discussed the potential of future strikes on Iran if the Islamic Republic attempts to rebuild its nuclear capabilities, after U.S. strikes in June that targeted the country’s nuclear sites.

“I hear Iran is looking to rebuild its facilities again, and if they do we will have to knock them down again,” the president told reporters during a news conference in late December. “We’re going to have no choice but very quickly to eradicate that build up. So I hope Iran is not trying to build up, as I’ve been reading.”

The civil uprising in Iran follows a pattern of Iranian citizens protesting the brutal regime’s grip on its citizens. The most recent unrest occurred in 2019, with one of the most significant events taking place in 2009, known as the Green Movement, which resulted in millions of Iranian citizens demonstrating against the government.