The United States is evacuating diplomatic personnel from Iraq and military family members from the Middle East following threats from Iran‘s defense minister that Tehran would target U.S. bases if negotiations broke down.

“If a conflict is imposed on us … all U.S. bases are within reach,” Iranian Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh warned on Wednesday, just days before the latest U.S.-Iranian nuclear negotiations.

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Later in the day, the State Department confirmed its decision to reduce its footprint in Iraq, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth authorized the voluntary departure of military families across the Middle East on Wednesday, a U.S. defense official told the Washington Examiner.

“The safety and security of our service members and their families remains our highest priority, and U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) is monitoring the developing tension in the Middle East,” the official said. “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.”

A State Department official told the Washington Examiner, “President Trump is committed to keeping Americans safe, both at home and abroad. In keeping with that commitment, we are constantly assessing the appropriate personnel posture at all our embassies. Based on our latest analysis, we decided to reduce the footprint of our Mission in Iraq.”

Another indication of the increased threat in the region came when the U.K. Maritime Trade Operations issued an advisory note on Wednesday, warning that it had “been made aware of increased tensions within the region which could lead to an escalation of military activity having a direct impact on mariners.”

U.S. and Iranian officials are expected to meet in the coming days for the sixth round of talks, but recently, President Donald Trump has publicly shown less optimism about the two sides agreeing to a deal. Both sides have issued threats toward each other if talks break down, which seems more likely than it did earlier in the discussions.

Trump said on Tuesday that Iran has become “much more aggressive” in nuclear talks and said on Wednesday that he’s growing “less confident.” The top U.S. commander in the Middle East told lawmakers this week that he provided Hegseth and Trump with military options for stopping Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

The main hang-up in negotiations is over whether Tehran would be permitted to enrich uranium, a primary component of a nuclear weapon.

MILITARY CONSIDERING ‘WIDE RANGE OF OPTIONS’ ON HOW TO STOP IRAN FROM OBTAINING NUCLEAR WEAPONS

“They’re just asking for things you can’t do,” Trump said on Monday. “They don’t want to give up what they have to give up. They seek enrichment. We can’t have enrichment. We want just the opposite, and so far they’re not there.”

Trump has publicly and privately told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to carry out a military operation to destroy Iran’s nuclear program to give the negotiations a better chance of success.