U.S. to pull some personnel from the Middle East amid rising tensions with Iran

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that U.S. personnel were being moved out of the Middle East because "it could be a dangerous place," adding that the United States would not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon.

Reuters reported earlier on Wednesday that the U.S. is preparing a partial evacuation of its Iraqi embassy and will allow military dependents to leave locations around the Middle East due to heightened security risks in the region, according to U.S. and Iraqi sources.

The four U.S. and two Iraqi sources did not disclose the security risks that prompted the decision. Meanwhile, reports of the potential evacuation pushed oil prices up by more than 4 percent.

A U.S. official said the State Department had authorized voluntary departures from Bahrain and Kuwait.

The State Department updated its global travel advisory on Wednesday evening to reflect the latest U.S. posture. "On June 11, the Department of State ordered the departure of non-emergency U.S. government personnel due to heightened regional tensions," the advisory said.

The U.S.' decision to evacuate some personnel comes at a volatile moment in the region. Trump's efforts to reach a nuclear deal with Iran appear to be deadlocked, and U.S. intelligence indicates that Israel has been making preparations for a strike against Iran's nuclear facilities.

"They are being moved out because it could be a dangerous place, and we'll see what happens," Trump told reporters. "We've given notice to move out."

Asked whether anything can be done to lower the temperature in the region, Trump said, "They can't have a nuclear weapon. Very simple, they can't have a nuclear weapon."

Trump has repeatedly threatened to strike Iran if stuttering talks over its nuclear program fail. In an interview released earlier on Wednesday, he said he was growing less confident that Tehran would agree to stop enriching uranium, a key American demand.

Iranian Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh also said on Wednesday that if Iran were subjected to strikes, it would retaliate by hitting U.S. bases in the region.

The U.S. Embassy in Kuwait said in a statement on Wednesday that it had "not changed its staffing posture and remains fully operational."

The United States has a military presence across the major oil-producing region, with bases in Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.

Earlier on Wednesday, Britain's maritime agency warned that increased tensions in the Middle East may lead to an escalation in military activity that could impact shipping in critical waterways.

It advised vessels to exercise caution while traveling through the Gulf, the Gulf of Oman and the Straits of Hormuz, which all border Iran.

Britain's Foreign Office said it was monitoring the situation and would keep its embassy in Iraq under constant review following the U.S.'s moves.

(With input from agencies)