Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth authorized families and dependents of U.S. military members to evacuate key locations in the Middle East on Wednesday, Fox News reported. This comes as Iran-backed militias increase attacks on the region and tensions flare.
"The safety and security of our service members and their families remains our highest priority, and U.S. Central Command is monitoring the developing tension in the Middle East. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has authorized the voluntary departure of military dependents from locations across the CENTCOM AOR," a defense official told Fox News.
The news was shared by military publication Stars and Stripes on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday. "The American military has authorized 'the voluntary departure' of troops’ dependents from locations across the Middle East as tensions with Iran have risen," the publication wrote, noting the directive was from Hegseth.
The American military has authorized “the voluntary departure” of troops’ dependents from locations across the Middle East as tensions with Iran have risen.
One U.S. defense official said the order came from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.https://t.co/CsKrexKKo7
— Stars and Stripes (@starsandstripes) June 11, 2025
It's telling that the order applies to the families of those stationed in Iraq, Qatar, Syria, and the United Arab Emirates. However, it is primarily for those stationed at the U.S. Navy base in Bahrain, which is home to the largest concentration of military dependents.
A defense official noted that this is part of a broader plan. "CENTCOM is working in close coordination with our Department of State counterparts, as well as our Allies and partners in the region to maintain a constant state of readiness to support any number of missions around the world at any time," the defense official said.
This is part of a number of troubling signs for possible military action in the region. It's not unusual for these evacuations, which are funded at the expense of the U.S. government, to occur; however, it certainly signals a possible escalation of tensions.
There is no order for uniformed military personnel in these evacuations, which points to the need for military readiness. According to the Washington Post, there are fears of an Israeli strike on Iran, which could spark an active conflict in the region.
President Donald Trump is in talks with Iran about its controversial nuclear plan, which is at the center of the escalation. Unfortunately, those negotiations seem to be breaking down as other indicators suggest Iran has already violated its longstanding nuclear deal.
The United Nations has found that Iran may have violated its decades-old nuclear nonproliferation agreement. Now it appears the nation may have "stockpiles of near-weapons-grade uranium" in direct violation of previous arrangements.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) found Iran in noncompliance because of "undeclared nuclear material and activities at multiple undeclared locations." Iran has announced a new enrichment site at a "secure location" without giving specifics.
This move is "concerning" to Kelsey Davenport, Arms Control Association's director of nonproliferation policy. "If this turns out to be a facility that Iran has already built out, then it could become operational relatively quickly and pose much more of a risk," Davenport said.
Meanwhile, U.S. and Iranian talks are going nowhere despite several attempts. A sixth round will take place in Oman on Sunday with the hopes of diffusing this situation by offering sanctions relief for Iran in exchange for a solid deal to limit its nuclear program.
The world is in a precarious situation with the tension in Iran and the implications of its growing nuclear program. It will be up to Trump and all of those involved to come to a favorable solution before the situation gets out of hand.
