Some US government employees from the US Embassy in Baghdad and its consulate in Erbil have been ordered to leave Iraq.
In a statement, the US State Department said: "Normal visa services at both posts will be temporarily suspended".
A US State Department spokesman said the decision to withdraw the staff was based on escalating tensions between Washington and Iran.
He, however, didn't give details on how many personnel were leaving.
US seizes Russian-flagged oil tanker linked to Venezuela
The US seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker that was being shadowed by a Russian submarine on Wednesday, after pursuing it for more than two weeks across the Atlantic as part of Washington's efforts to block Venezuelan oil exports.
Power restored in Berlin after longest blackout since World War Two
Electricity was restored to southwestern Berlin on Wednesday after a suspected arson attack on a power station by leftist activists caused a blackout for tens of thousands of households, the longest outage in the German capital since World War Two.
France working with allies on plan should US move on Greenland
France is working with partners on a plan on how to respond should the US act on its threat to take over Greenland, a minister said on Wednesday, as Europe sought to address US President Donald Trump's ambitions in the region.
South Korea's Lee says he asked Xi to play a mediating role on North Korea
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said on Wednesday that much progress had been made in restoring trust with Beijing, and that he had asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to play a role in mediating Seoul's efforts to engage North Korea.
Western Europe braces for another wave of snow and ice
Western Europe braced for more snow and ice on Wednesday, with the first named storm of the year hitting the continent's Atlantic coast.
The Emirates Drug Establishment has announced a voluntary and precautionary recall of some Nestle infant formula products.
Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has completed major traffic expansion works on Al Warqa’a 1 Street, stretching seven kilometres between Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road and Ras Al Khor Road.
The UAE Government has approved a comprehensive package of updated federal laws aimed at strengthening agricultural and veterinary quarantine systems, protecting new plant varieties, and regulating the international trade in endangered animals and plants.
