U.S. Withdraws All Non-Emergency Personnel from U.S. Embassy in Iraq

The U.S. State Department has ordered the withdrawal of all non-emergency personnel from the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and U.S. Consulate in Erbil amid mounting tensions with Iran and threats to U.S. government employees.

According to ABC News, government sources have warned of “clear indications” that Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is planning imminent attacks on American forces both on land and at sea. The U.S. Embassy called the measures “appropriate given the current security conditions,” but did not name any specific threats. Last week, Pompeo stated that the threats “were imminent.”

The State Department insisted that the withdrawals were necessary after receiving “increased intelligence reporting” regarding potential Iranian military operations.

“We do not make these decisions lightly,” the U.S. Embassy said in a statement. “The safety and welfare of US government personnel and US citizens is the department’s highest priority. We are confident in the Iraqi security services determination to protect us, but this threat is serious and we want to reduce the risk of harm. We remain committed to partnering with Iraq to advance our mutual interest.”

While diplomatic relations have been poor for some time, Pompeo insisted that the increasingly serious nature of the Islamic Republic’s threats would not go unanswered.

“Our position hasn’t changed,”…