The US and UK are reducing the number of personnel at the Al-Udeid air base in Qatar, as US President Donald Trump considers whether to take action against Iran over its crackdown on anti-government protests.
Officials have told CBS, the BBC's US partner, that the partial American withdrawal was a precautionary measure. The BBC understands some UK military personnel are also being removed.
A Qatari government statement said the measures reportedly being taken by the US were in response to the current regional tensions.
Trump earlier said the US would take very strong action against Iran if the authorities execute protesters. Iran has said it will retaliate if attacked by the US.
According to rights groups, more than 2,400 anti-government demonstrators have been killed in the recent violent crackdown by the Iranian authorities.
Regarding the removal of military personnel, the Qatari government said it would continue to implement all necessary measures to safeguard the security and safety of its citizens and residents as a top priority, including actions related to the protection of critical infrastructure and military facilities.
Al-Udeid is the largest US military base in the Middle East and about 10,000 personnel are based there, as well as about 100 UK staff. It is not clear how many will be leaving.
A UK Ministry of Defence spokesperson declined to comment on reports that UK personnel were being withdrawn due to operational security.
While some personnel had been told to leave the base, there was no immediate sign of large numbers of troops being bussed out like in the hours before an Iranian strike last year.
A senior adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned Trump that the June attack demonstrated Iran's ability to respond to any attack.
The US Mission to Saudi Arabia has advised its personnel and citizens to exercise increased caution and limit non-essential travel to any military installations in the region.
The US has been threatening to intervene in Iran over the killing of protesters. Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that Iranian authorities would pay a big price for the killings, and urged people to keep protesting.
He has also indicated that Iranian leaders had called him wanting to negotiate, but the US may have to act before a meeting.
Iran's government has accused the US of seeking to manufacture a pretext for military intervention, with warnings that if the US attacked, both Israeli and US military and shipping centres in the region would become legitimate targets.
The latest protests in Iran began in December following the collapse of the currency and rising living costs, widening into demands for political change and presenting one of the most serious challenges to the clerical establishment since 1979.
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported at least 2,403 protester deaths and 18,434 arrests amidst the unrest.
