Middle East: US withdraws embassy staff amid Iran tensions

• Oman said a new round of US-Iran talks will begin on Saturday
• Some non-emergency US government personnel ordered to depart region
• US and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) accuses Hamas of killing at least five people in an attack on a bus carrying its aid workers
• Israel has retrieved the bodies of two hostages from the southern Khan Younis area of Gaza
• Israel's parliament has rejected a preliminary vote to dissolve itself

Below is a roundup of the latest developments on the situation in Gaza, Israel and the wider Middle East region on Thursday, June 12, 2025:

06/12/2025June 12, 2025

Round 6 of US-Iran talks to begin in Oman on Saturday

Representatives from Iran and the US will meet in Oman on Saturday for a sixth round of negotiations aimed at curbing Iran's nuclear program, Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi said on Thursday.

"I am pleased to confirm the 6th round of Iran-US talks will be held in Muscat this Sunday," he said in a post on X.

The announcement comes amid increasing tensions in the region and the failure of earlier rounds of talks to reach an agreement.

06/12/2025June 12, 2025

Trump says US personnel being moved from potentially 'dangerous' Middle East

US President Donald Trump said US personnel were being moved out of the Middle East due to faltering nuclear talks with Iran threatening to derail the security situation.

"Well they are being moved out because it could be a dangerous place," Trump told reporters in Washington when questioned about reports of personnel being moved.

"We've given notice to move out and we'll see what happens."

When asked how the tensions in the region could be dialed down, Trump then added: "They can't have a nuclear weapon, very simple. We're not going to allow that."

According to reports, the US embassy in Iraq was preparing for a partial evacuation, with permission being granted for voluntary departures from Bahrain and Kuwait.

The State Department updated its worldwide travel advisory on Wednesday reflecting the latest developments. "On June 11, the Department of State ordered the departure of non-emergency US government personnel due to heightened regional tensions," the advisory said.

Trump has repeatedly threatened to strike Iran if talks over its nuclear programme fell flat.

The US president on Wednesday said he was growing less confident that Tehran would agree to stop enriching uranium, which is a key US demand.

Iran's Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh on Wednesday that if Iran were to be attacked, then it would retaliate by hitting US bases in the region. The US has military bases in Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, among others.

06/12/2025June 12, 2025

Israel's parliament rejects preliminary vote to dissolve itself

Israeli lawmakers early on Thursday rejected a preliminary vote to dissolve the parliament, the Knesset said in a statement.

The bill submitted by the opposition was voted down 61-53.  A 61-vote majority was needed in the 120-seat parliament.

The vote could have been a first step leading to a snap election. Polls have predicted that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ruling coalition would lose at the ballot box.

06/12/2025June 12, 2025

US-backed Gaza aid group says 5 killed in Hamas attack

The US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has accused the militant group Hamas of killing at least five people in an attack on a bus carrying its aid workers to one of its distribution sites. 

The group said in a statement that at around 10 p.m. local time on Wednesday (1900 GMT) "a bus carrying more than two-dozen members of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation team... was brutally attacked by Hamas."

"We are still gathering facts, but what we know is devastating: there are at least five fatalities, multiple injuries, and fear that some of our team members may have been taken hostage," the statement added.

DW could not immediately verify GHF's account of the events

Despite objections from the UN, the GHF has taken over aid distribution in the Gaza Strip.

The privately-run GHF has only been allowed to operate in the Gaza Strip with the endorsement of Israel and the US.

Other humanitarian groups, including the UN's own network of aid agencies, remain blocked from entering the region.

Because of this, GHF's operation has come under widespread condemnation for not operating under humanitarian principles.

06/12/2025June 12, 2025

Israel recovers bodies of two hostages, says Netanyahu

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that the bodies of two hostages have been recovered from Gaza by the army and the Shin Bet security agency.

"We will not rest and we will not be silent until all our hostages — the living and the fallen alike — are brought home," he said in a statement.

Read more about the two hostages whose bodies were found.

06/12/2025June 12, 2025

Welcome to our coverage

This blog will bring you the latest on Israel, Gaza, and other parts of the Middle East. 

In addition to the main headlines, DW will also bring you analysis, multimedia content and on-the-ground reports from the region.