DUBAI/DOHA (Jan 14): The US is withdrawing some personnel from bases in the Middle East, a US official said on Wednesday, after a senior Iranian official said Tehran had warned neighbours it would hit American bases if Washington strikes. An Iranian official has said more than 2,000 people have died. Iran asks regional states to prevent a US attackTrump has openly threatened to intervene in Iran for days, without giving specifics. Direct contacts between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff had been suspended, the official added. The government's prestige was severely damaged by a 12-day Israeli bombing campaign in June — joined by the US — that followed setbacks for Iran's regional allies in Lebanon and Syria.

Source: The Edge Markets January 14, 2026 14:31 UTC