The publication noted that the initial version of its article reported the evacuation of American troops from bases in Qatar and Bahrain, but US officials later denied this information.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump stated that a "massive armada" was heading toward Iran and expressed hope that the Iranian government would agree to negotiate a "fair and equitable" deal that would entail a complete abolition of nuclear weapons. Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi emphasized on February 8 that the Islamic Republic insisted on its right to enrich uranium, even if it led to war.