Middle East crisis Iran-US tensions

US recalls personnel from Israel

The US is recalling most of its personnel in Israel, citing security risks, the US embassy in Jerusalem announced.

Personnel who do not have emergency responsibilities and their families will be able to choose whether to stay in Israel or not, Reuters reports.

The announcement comes after the Trump administration has repeatedly threatened to attack Iran. Iran, in turn, has threatened to retaliate against nearby US targets.

In an email to embassy staff, Ambassador Mike Huckabee wrote that anyone who wants to leave Israel should do so immediately. According to the New York Times, he is urging staff to book any flight.

“The highest priority is to get out of the country quickly,” Huckabee wrote late at night in an email that the newspaper has seen.

Sources: Trump Considering Options for Iran Attack

Donald Trump was briefed last night on possible options for an attack on Iran, sources with knowledge of the matter told ABC News and CNN.

According to reports in several media outlets, several senior Republicans are pursuing a plan in which Israel initiates the attack on Iran, and is then backed by the US. It is unclear whether such a scenario was among the options presented to Trump on Thursday.

– The media can continue to speculate about what the president is thinking as much as they want, but only President Trump knows what he will or will not do, White House press secretary Anna Kelly told ABC News.