This archive report was first published on 4 January 2020.
On January 3, 2020, the US State Department issued an urgent warning to American citizens in Iraq, advising them to leave the country immediately.
The warning came after a US strike killed Qasem Soleimani, the commander of Iran's Quds Force, at Baghdad's international airport. The strike also killed the deputy chief of Iraq's powerful Hashed Al-Shaabi paramilitary force.
"Due to heightened tensions in Iraq and the region, we urge US citizens to depart Iraq immediately," the State Department tweeted.
Additionally, the US Embassy in Baghdad suspended all consular operations due to Iranian-backed militia attacks on the compound, and warned US citizens not to approach the Embassy.
Pro-Iranian protesters had laid siege to the US Embassy earlier in the week, further escalating tensions in the region.
