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Iran tensions: U.S. orders non-essential embassy staff to leave Iraq

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (R) in Baghdad, May 7. Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images

The U.S. State Department ordered "non-emergency government employees" to leave Iraq as soon as possible, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad said in a statement Wednesday.

Details: The move comes after Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said it would not be difficult for Tehran to "enrich uranium to weapons-grade levels," AP reports, citing state media. He did say "no one is seeking war," AP said. Iran officially began rolling back key commitments of its 2015 nuclear deal Wednesday, per the Iranian Students News Agency.

A tweet previously embedded here has been deleted or was tweeted from an account that has been suspended or deleted.

Context: U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made an unscheduled trip to Baghdad last week to discuss with Iraqi leaders "specific threats" about Iranian activity. The heightened tensions prompted the embassy to issue a security alert Sunday advising Americans to avoid travel to Iraq.

The big picture: The U.S. sent warships to the Gulf to send a message to Iran that attacks on U.S. interests or allies would be met with force. Israel had warned the U.S. of an alleged Iranian plot to attack American interests in the Gulf. President Trump announced fresh sanctions against Tehran last week that target its metal industries.

Go deeper:

Go deeper

Dave Lawler
52 seconds ago - World

Biden to warn Putin U.S. will add troops in Eastern Europe if Russia invades Ukraine

Putin meets Biden in Geneva. Photo: Peter Klaunzer - Pool/Keystone via Getty

President Biden will warn Russian President Vladimir Putin when they speak on Tuesday that if Russia invades Ukraine, the U.S. is prepared to increase its troop presence, capabilities and military exercises on NATO's "eastern flank," a senior administration official told reporters.

Why it matters: The administration believes it's increasingly likely that Putin will order an invasion.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow
Jacob Knutson
33 mins ago - World

U.S. announces diplomatic boycott of Beijing Winter Olympics

An Olympic-themed sculpture in Beijing on Dec. 1. Photo: Hou Yu/China News Service via Getty Images

The U.S. announced Monday that it will not send officials to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics in protest of human rights abuses committed by the Chinese Communist Party.

Why it matters: The diplomatic boycott — which won't prevent American athletes from competing — marks a major escalation between the U.S. and China amid already heightened tensions over the CCP's treatment of Muslim minorities, military threats to Taiwan and economic tariffs.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow
Andrew Freedman
Updated 48 mins ago - Energy & Environment

Stuck jet stream brings blowtorch December in Lower 48, frigid Alaska

Short-term climate outlook for Dec. 13-19, 2021, from the Climate Prediction Center at NOAA. (NOAA/CPC)

The Lower 48 states have seen record-shattering warmth so far this December, with temperatures running as high as 35°F above average for this time of year. The warmth has been so pronounced that during the weekend, brush fires broke out in a snowless, unusually mild Denver metro area.

The big picture: The jet stream, which is a river of air that rides at about 30,000 feet along the temperature contrast between air masses, steering storms as it goes, has been stuck in a position well north of the continental U.S., keeping storms and cold weather at bay.

Go deeper (2 min. read)Arrow