Israel Poised for Iran Operation as U.S. Issues Regional Evacuation Orders Amid Escalating Tensions
Israel poised to strike Iran's nuclear sites, US officials warn, as America evacuates personnel from Iraq. Tensions spike amid failed nuclear talks, with Iran vowing retaliation if attacked. Trump urges caution as Netanyahu weighs action.
By Ahora Qadi
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Israel is on the brink of launching a military operation against Iran, multiple U.S. officials confirmed to CBS News, as mounting regional tensions prompt the United States to begin evacuating non-essential personnel from Iraq and authorize the voluntary departure of military families across the Middle East.
Senior American sources revealed that Israel has finalized preparations for a strike targeting Iranian nuclear infrastructure, marking what could become the most volatile military escalation in the region in years. The move comes as President Donald Trump, continues high-stakes nuclear negotiations with Tehran — talks that are reportedly approaching a critical juncture.
Strategic Calculations and Preemptive Warnings
The U.S. government, anticipating Iranian retaliation, particularly against American assets in Iraq, ordered all non-emergency personnel at its diplomatic missions in Iraq to leave the country. The State Department cited “heightened regional tensions,” while the Pentagon followed by approving the voluntary departure of U.S. military dependents throughout the Middle East.
President Trump addressed the developments during an appearance at the Kennedy Center on Wednesday, stating: “We advised Americans to leave the region because it could be a dangerous place, and we’ll see what happens.” He reiterated his longstanding opposition to a nuclear-armed Iran, affirming, “We’re not going to allow that.”
While Trump confirmed that he had cautioned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against initiating an operation while negotiations are ongoing, multiple sources say Netanyahu is now seeking to leverage the current moment — particularly growing skepticism over the success of the talks — to take decisive action.
Israeli Silence, Iranian Warnings
Israeli officials have refused to comment on the reports. However, Netanyahu’s government has long expressed distrust in diplomatic engagement with Iran. For decades, Israeli intelligence has conducted what it describes as “countless overt and covert operations” to disrupt the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program.
Iran, for its part, has issued stark warnings. Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh declared that should talks collapse and “a conflict be imposed,” the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) will retaliate by targeting U.S. bases across the region. The UK Maritime Trade Organization has also sounded the alarm, urging commercial vessels to exercise caution in the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, and Gulf of Oman due to the heightened risk of military confrontation in critical global shipping lanes.
Tenuous Nuclear Talks Under Threat
Despite the growing possibility of open conflict, Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, is expected to hold a sixth round of nuclear negotiations with Iranian counterparts in the coming days. While administration officials insist the talks remain a priority, the political environment is growing increasingly fragile.
Trump has publicly insisted that any deal must include a complete halt to uranium enrichment by Iran — a demand Tehran has thus far resisted. Two weeks ago, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported that Iran had accumulated over 408 kilograms of uranium enriched up to 60%, alarmingly close to the 90% threshold required to construct a nuclear weapon. That represents a substantial increase from the 274-kilogram stockpile reported in February.
Speaking before Congress earlier on Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth offered a sobering assessment: “There are plenty of indications that [Iran] has been moving toward something that would look a lot like a nuclear weapon.”
Geopolitical Flashpoint
The specter of war looms just as the Trump administration seeks to finalize what could be a defining foreign policy achievement: a reimagined nuclear accord that would curtail Iran’s enrichment program and potentially reintegrate the country into the global economy. Yet the Israeli government’s growing impatience, combined with Iranian threats, risks derailing that process.
Notably, Israeli sources revealed to Axios that Netanyahu now views Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s emergence and his alignment with Washington and Riyadh as a strategic opening — and possibly a buffer against Tehran. That broader realignment in the region could be playing a role in the timing of Israel’s military posture.
