US TROOPS EVACUATE BASES ACROSS MIDDLE EAST DUE TO ONGOING THREATS AS TRUMP MULLS MAJOR STRIKE ON IRAN

What happened: US troops at bases in Jordan, Qatar and Kuwait have been ordered to move, and the State Department is reducing staff at Middle East diplomatic posts, including the US Embassy in Saudi Arabia under "ordered departure." Key numbers: US naval blockade has cost Iran $25 billion in Why it matters: Officials say the moves are part of military planning as Trump considers renewed strikes on Iran, possibly before November's midterm elections, with the aim of pushing Tehran to negotiate and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Experts doubt the MOAB can penetrate the Pickaxe Mountain complex.

US troops at bases in Jordan, Qatar and Kuwait have been ordered to move, and the State Department is reducing staff at Middle East diplomatic posts, including the US Embassy in Saudi Arabia under "ordered departure."

Officials say the moves are part of military planning as Trump considers renewed strikes on Iran, possibly before November's midterm elections, with the aim of pushing Tehran to negotiate and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Experts doubt the MOAB can penetrate the Pickaxe Mountain complex.