The order to evacuate U.S. diplomats from Iraq came in response to an "imminent" threat directly linked to Iran, senior State Department officials said Wednesday.

The UAE said it will "retaliate hard" if Yemen's Huthi rebels attack civilian facilities, a day after rebels claimed drone attacks that shut down a key Saudi oil pipeline.

The UAE said Wednesday it was "committed to de-escalation" after a spike in tensions in the Gulf but warned it would retaliate hard against Yemen rebel attacks on civilian facilities in the region.

At least 24 police officers have been wounded in clashes with protesters rallying against unemployment in central Algeria, state media reported Wednesday.

Palestinians protested Wednesday for the annual commemoration of what they call the Nakba, or catastrophe, when hundreds of thousands were expelled or fled during the 1948 war surrounding the creation of Israel.

Germany has halted its training of soldiers in Iraq, a defence ministry spokesman said Wednesday, as tensions rise between neighbouring Iran and the United States.

Russia and the United States voiced hope Tuesday for better ties including working together in Syria as President Vladimir Putin welcomed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, but tensions were laid bare in a clash over election meddling.

The US on Wednesday ordered all non-emergency staff to leave its embassy in Baghdad and consulate in Arbil, as tensions mount between the United States and Iraq's neighbor Iran, prompting Kremlin concern.

Saudi Arabia said Wednesday that attacks on two of its oil tankers and a major pipeline targeted not only its own security but that of the world's supplies.

Drone attacks claimed by Iran-aligned Yemeni rebels shut down one of the kingdom's main oil pipelines on Tuesday, further ratcheting up Gulf tensions after the mysterious sabotage of four ships, two of them Saudi tankers, just outside the Gulf on Sunday.

Campaigners called on supporters of the Palestinian cause to at least temporarily deactivate their Airbnb accounts on Wednesday to protest its listings in settlements in the occupied West Bank.