Trump to launch strike on Iran ‘in next 24 hours’ as WW3 fears soar | World | News
Officials claimed that Donald Trump will launch an attack on Iran in the next 24 hours. The US has reportedly evacuated its soldiers from its largest base in the Middle East, fearing retaliation from the regime.
Hundreds of troops have been moved from Qatar’s Al Udeid Air Base to other locations in the Middle East, NBC reported. Sources told the broadcaster this was to keep them out of harm’s way in case Iran decided to retaliate against an American attack.
The base is the largest US base in the region and normally hosts approximately 10,000 soldiers.
The move comes as several Western and Israeli officials suggest that President Trump has already decided to intervene militarily; however, the exact timing and scope of any attack remains unclear.
President Trump has repeatedly threatened to intervene in support of protesters in Iran, where thousands have reportedly been killed in a brutal crackdown on demonstrations against the clerical rule.
While Iran warned that it would retaliate against US interests in the region if Washington launched an attack, a senior Iranian official said American bases in neighboring countries could be targeted.
Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani, told
Qatar confirmed that the withdrawals were continuing in Al Udeid and said the move was in response to “current regional tensions”.
A statement from the Gulf country’s media office did not provide details, but the order said: “Qatar continues to implement all necessary measures to protect the safety and security of its citizens and residents as a top priority, including actions related to the protection of critical infrastructure and military facilities.”
Some U.S. personnel were told to leave the base, but there was no immediate sign of a large-scale evacuation like that seen before Iran’s missile strike last year, three diplomats said.
Two European officials told Reuters that US military intervention now looked likely, with one warning that an attack could come within the next 24 hours as tensions escalate.
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