15th May 2019
US orders embassy staff to leave Iraq immediately
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By Sky News
The US has ordered all non-emergency government staff to leave Iraq immediately.
The move comes amid escalating tensions with Iran, after Washington last week said it had detected new and urgent threats from the country.
The US state department ordered the pullout of employees from both the embassy in Baghdad and its consulate in Erbil, the embassy said in a statement.
It said Iran and its proxy forces in the region were targeting its citizens and American interests.
On Sunday, the embassy advised Americans to avoid travel to Iraq, citing "heightened tensions".
Referring to the embassy and the consulate in Erbil, the statement from the embassy said "normal visa services at both posts will be temporarily suspended".
