In light of recent attacks on American troops and people in the area, the U.S. State Department declared on Sunday that residents of the United States should not travel to Iraq.
The travel warning states, “Do not travel to Iraq due to terrorism, kidnapping, armed conflict, civil unrest, and Mission Iraq’s limited capacity to provide support to U.S. citizens.”
Since the confrontation between Israel and Hamas terrorists in Gaza began, there has been an increase in attacks against American forces in Iraq and Syria. A U.S. warship downed over a dozen drones and four cruise missiles fired from Yemen by the Houthis, who are backed by Iran, last week.
According to a statement from the State Department, “due to increased security threats against U.S. personnel and interests,” eligible family members and non-emergency U.S. government staff were instructed to leave the U.S. Embassy Baghdad and the U.S. Consulate General Erbil at the time of the advice.
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As regional tensions rise during the Israel-Hamas war, which started after Palestinian Islamist group Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, killing over 1,400 people, Washington is on high alert for activities by groups backed by Iran.
Since then, Israel has responded with lethal airstrikes on Gaza, a 2.3 million-person region that is 45 kilometres (25 miles) long and a portion of the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territory. Hamas has controlled Gaza politically since 2006. Palestinian officials claim that approximately 4,700 individuals have died as a result of Israeli airstrikes.
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The State Department warned on Sunday that “U.S. government personnel in Baghdad are instructed not to use Baghdad International Airport due to security concerns.”
In recent weeks, the US has dispatched a sizable contingent of its armed forces to the Middle East, comprising some 2,000 Marines, two aircraft carriers, and their support vessels.
According to the Pentagon on Saturday, the United States will dispatch more Patriot air defence missile system battalions as well as a Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system to the Middle East.
