US military action against Iran seen as imminent, report says

WASHINGTON: The United States is repositioning some personnel from military facilities across the Middle East, a US official confirmed to Reuters on Wednesday, January 14, as regional tensions spike following direct warnings from Tehran.

A senior Iranian official has cautioned that American bases in neighboring countries would be struck if Washington launches military action against Iran.

The adjustment comes amid sweeping unrest inside Iran and mounting signals that the Trump administration is weighing force.

Multiple Western military officials have indicated that a US strike could come with little notice, as President Donald Trump continues to warn of intervention in response to the crackdown on protesters.

US pulling personnel from key bases 

A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said personnel are being pulled from select installations as a precautionary step tied to the deteriorating security environment.

Qatar confirmed that drawdowns at Al Udeid Air Base, the largest US facility in the region, are “being undertaken in response to the current regional tensions.”

British officials also confirmed that the United Kingdom is withdrawing some personnel from a base in Qatar.

Three diplomats said limited staff have been instructed to depart, though there were no indications of a large-scale evacuation comparable to the one ordered ahead of Iran’s missile strike last year.

Defense officials emphasized that the moves are defensive in nature and designed to reduce exposure as threats escalate.

Trump threatens 'very strong action'

President Trump has sharpened his public posture in recent days.

In a CBS News interview on Tuesday, he warned Iran that the United States would take “very strong action” if executions of protesters continue, telling Iranians that “help is on the way.”

Western officials say that the administration’s messaging appears deliberate. “All the signals are that a US attack is imminent,” one Western military official told Reuters. “Unpredictability is part of the strategy.”

Israeli sources have also suggested that Trump has made a decision in principle to intervene, though they cautioned that the scale and timing remain uncertain.

Tehran warns regional neighbors of strikes 

Iran has responded with explicit threats aimed at US partners.

A senior Iranian official said Tehran has informed Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and others that “US bases in those countries will be attacked” if Washington strikes Iran.

Diplomatic engagement has stalled. Contacts between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff have been suspended.

Iranian leaders continue to accuse the United States and Israel of orchestrating unrest, characterizing the protests as domestic extremism directed from abroad.

Regional governments have increased security around American installations while urging restraint through private channels.

Unrest dwarfs previous protest waves

Inside Iran, the scale of the upheaval is unprecedented. An Iranian official claimed more than 2,000 people have been killed. The rights group HRANA has reported 2,403 protesters and 147 government-affiliated individuals dead.

Armed Forces Chief of Staff Abdolrahim Mousavi acknowledged that Iran has “never faced this volume of destruction.”

While Western officials say the government does not appear on the brink of collapse, the scope of the violence has stunned authorities. France has described the crackdown as the “most violent repression in Iran’s contemporary history.”