The US government has ordered its citizens to depart Iraq immediately, following an airstrike that resulted in the killing of a prominent Iranian General, Qasem Soleimani. Soleimani, who led Iran’s elite Quds Force unit of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, was targeted at the Baghdad International Airport in Iraq. In addition, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the leader of Kata’ib Hezbollah, also known as Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) in Iraq, was killed alongside Soleimani.
In response to the heightened tensions, the US Embassy in Baghdad and the State Department issued a security alert advising all American citizens to leave Iraq without delay. They recommended departure via airlines when possible and, failing that, to leave via other countries by land. The embassy’s statement also emphasized that US citizens should refrain from approaching the embassy and noted that the consulate general in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan, would remain open for appointments.
This security alert was issued shortly after Iran vowed to deliver a severe retaliation against the United States for the airstrike that resulted in the death of Qasem Soleimani.