At the same time, the US is said to have received information that Israel is completely ready to initiate a military operation against Iran, according to several sources for CBS News.
The US Department of State announced on Wednesday that all personnel who are not considered necessary at the embassy in Baghdad will go home. Some personnel at the embassies in Bahrain and Kuwait have also been given clearance to leave if they wish.
Trump was asked about the personnel move during a visit to the Kennedy Center cultural center at the premiere of "Les Misérables".
We have announced that we are moving out and we'll see what happens.
Talks this weekend
The personnel move takes place with the ongoing nuclear energy talks between the US and Iran as a backdrop. A sixth round is planned for the weekend.
They cannot be allowed to have nuclear weapons, it's very simple. We will not allow it, says Trump.
Trump has previously expressed himself optimistically about the possibility of agreeing on a new agreement to limit Iran's nuclear energy program. He has also said that he has pressed Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to attack Iran to give the negotiations a chance.
But in a recent podcast interview with the New York Post, Trump says he is now "less sure" of the Iranians' intentions.
They seem to be stalling, and I think it's a shame. I am less sure now than I would have been a few months ago. Something has happened to them.
Iran warns
Iran's Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh warned on Wednesday that if the talks with the US fail and the tensions lead to conflict, the country is prepared to attack American bases in the region.
All their bases are within our reach, we can reach them, and we will not hesitate, he said at a press conference and added that it hopefully will not "go that far".
The US has several military bases in the Middle East, the largest of which is located in Qatar.
In January 2020, Iran fired rockets at American bases in Iraq in retaliation for the US killing the Iranian top general Qasem Soleimani with a drone attack in Baghdad.
