JERUSALEM, Israel – The U.S. is preparing partial evacuations of several embassies in the Middle East after Iran threatened U.S. personnel in the region. It comes as the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation reported a devastating attack by Hamas on its aid workers.
The G.H.F. reported that on Wednesday night Hamas “brutally attacked a bus carrying more than two-dozen members of the G.H.F. team. What we know is devastating – at least five fatalities, multiple injuries, and fears that some of our team members may have been taken hostage.”
G.H.F. confirms they were Palestinians working to deliver aid to needy Gazans. Since the operation began late last month, G.H.F. has delivered more than 12 million meals. It is calling on the international community to condemn the attack, which the G.H.F. describes as a crime against humanity.
Meanwhile, the U.S. is preparing for partial evacuations of its embassies in the region as Iran makes threats concerning the negotiations to abolish Iran’s nuclear program.
Iranian Defense Minister Gen. Aziz Nasirzadeh warned, “All (the U.S.) bases are within our reach. We have access to them and we will target all of them in the host countries without hesitation.”
In response, leaders at the State Department and the Pentagon are pulling out some of the non-essential personnel and offering to evacuate family members of military forces in the Middle East.
At Washington’s Kennedy Center on Wednesday, President Trump stated, “They are being moved out because it could be a dangerous place, and we’ll see what happens.”
The president is expressing deeper skepticism about whether a deal with Iran can be reached. On the podcast, Pod Force One, Trump said, “I am much less confident of a deal being made.”
Both the U.S. and Israel have threatened military strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities if Iran won’t cut a deal, but the president has made clear he’d rather have peace, saying, “It would be nicer to do it without warfare, without people dying.”
Iran has openly threatened to target Americans in the region if talks fail and the U.S. or Israel attack Iran’s nuclear sites. CBS News reports Israel is fully ready to launch such strikes, with or without U.S. backing.
Rising doubts over whether a deal can be reached threaten further negotiations. However, both Iran and the U.S. have mentioned a sixth round of talks taking place any day now, probably in Oman.
State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce announced, “We would hope and expect that there would be new additional talks, and that, in fact, they would be soon.”
Jonathan Conricus with the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies contends the time for diplomacy has long passed.
“There is still enough time to act. The means are there,” Conricus told CBN News. “The capabilities are there, and what needs to be done is for the world to take clear, unequivalent action, not diplomatic talks, not allow the cunning, silver-tongued Iranian negotiators to wiggle their way out of the situation, but to take real action on the ground.”
Conricus added, “After 15 years of diplomatic efforts and unequivocal evidence that the Iranians are lying and that they are trying to build a nuclear bomb, action needs to be taken, and I hope decision-makers in Washington D.C. and in European capitals are paying attention and understand the full severity of the situation here.”
***Please sign up for CBN Newsletters to ensure you receive the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***
The Jerusalem Post reports that the Trump administration is warning nations to steer clear of a conference hosted by France’s President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Arabia in New York next week that may unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state within Israel’s present borders.
A cable sent out Tuesday reportedly states, “We’re urging governments not to participate in the conference, which we view as counterproductive to ongoing, lifesaving efforts to end the war in Gaza and free hostages.”
Israel reported it has recovered the bodies of two more hostages in Gaza. One of them is Yair Yaakov, who was killed during the Hamas October 7th, 2023, invasion.
