U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, 2018. Photo: Reuters
HEWLÊR-Erbil, Iraq’s Kurdistan region,— The U.S. State Department on Wednesday ordered the departure of “non-emergency government employees” from Iraq, the U.S. embassy in Baghdad said in a statement.
Referring to the embassy and the U.S. consulate in Iraqi Kurdistan capital city of Erbil, it said “normal visa services at both posts will be temporarily suspended. The U.S. government has limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in Iraq.”
The statement recommended those affected “depart by commercial transportation as soon as possible”.
The U.S. Embassy in Iraq on Sunday advised U.S. citizens against traveling to the country amid what it called “heightened tensions,” reflecting worsening strains between Washington and Tehran.
The advisory was posted on Twitter on Sunday night. The U.S. has long advised its citizens against travel to Iraq, but the renewed warning followed Washington’s deployment of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and B-52 bombers to the Persian Gulf in response to unspecified “threats” by Iran.
The warning follows a surprise visit to Baghdad by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last week which he said was aimed at demonstrating U.S. support for the Iraqi government, as the U.S. says it has been picking up intelligence that Iran is threatening American interests in the Middle East.
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