Iran warns of retaliation if Trump strikes, as US withdraws personnel from bases

By Phil Stewart , Parisa Hafezi and Andrew Mills January 15, 2026 — 5.58am Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Washington, DC: The US is withdrawing some personnel from bases in the Middle East, a US official said, after a senior Iranian official said Tehran had warned neighbours it would hit American bases if Washington strikes. With Iran’s leadership trying to quell the worst domestic unrest the Islamic Republic has ever faced, Tehran is seeking to deter US President Donald Trump’s repeated threats to intervene on behalf of anti-government protesters. Pro-government protesters burn US and the Israeli flags in Tehran, Iran, on Wednesday, Credit: AP A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said on Wednesday, Washington time, the US was pulling some personnel from key bases in the region as a precaution, given heightened regional tensions. Britain was also withdrawing some personnel from an air base in Qatar ahead of possible US strikes. “The UK always puts precautionary measures in place to ensure the security and safety of our personnel, including where necessary withdrawing personnel,” a spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence said. “All the signals are that a US attack is imminent,” one Western military official said. “But that is also how this administration behaves to keep everyone on their toes. Unpredictability is part of the strategy.” Two European officials said US military intervention could come in the next 24 hours. An Israeli official also said it appeared Trump had decided to intervene, though the scope and timing remained unclear . Italy and Poland on Thursday morning (AEDT) urged their citizens to leave Iran. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs urges the immediate departure from Iran and advises against all travel to this country,” the Polish foreign ministry said in a post on X. Advertisement Qatar said drawdowns from its Al Udeid air base – the biggest US base in the Middle East – were “being undertaken in response to the current regional tensions”. Loading Three diplomats said some personnel had been told to leave the base, though there were no immediate signs of large numbers of troops being bussed out to a soccer stadium and shopping mall as took place hours before an Iranian missile strike last year. Trump has repeatedly threatened to intervene in support of protesters in Iran, where thousands of people have been reported killed in a crackdown on the unrest against clerical rule. Iran and its Western foes have both described the unrest, which began two weeks ago as demonstrations against dire economic conditions and rapidly escalated in recent days, as the most violent since the 1979 Islamic Revolution that installed Iran’s system of Shi’ite clerical rule. An Iranian official has said more than 2000 people have died. A rights group put the toll at more than 2600. Loading...

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