US Embassy Urges Americans to Leave Iraq

(Patria) - The US Embassy in Baghdad has been attacked, AFP reports.

Iraq, a long-time proxy battlefield between the United States and Iran, has been quickly drawn into the Middle East war triggered by American and Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28.

A cloud of black smoke rose above the US diplomatic mission shortly after the sound of explosions on Saturday morning, an AFP journalist said.

Two security officials told AFP that the embassy complex was hit by a drone. This is the second time the US embassy in Baghdad has been attacked since the start of the war. Later on Saturday, the embassy issued an updated security alert calling on citizens to "leave immediately" but saying not to come to the embassy in the capital or the consulate general in Erbil "due to the ongoing risk of missiles, drones, and rockets in Iraqi airspace".

"Terrorist militias linked to Iran have repeatedly attacked the International Zone" in Baghdad, it was stated on X. "There have also been repeated attacks in the area around Erbil International Airport and the Consulate General," it added.

Several Tehran-backed armed groups, designated as "terrorist organizations" by Washington, united under a umbrella movement known as the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, are carrying out daily drone and rocket attacks on US bases in Iraq and the region.