The US embassy in Baghdad has urged American citizens in Iraq on Friday to “depart immediately” following the airstrike that killed Qassem Soleimani.
The strike ordered by President Donald Trump took out the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force, as well as Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, a commander in the Mobilization Force militia.
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“US citizens should depart via airline while possible, and failing that, to other countries via land,” the US embassy said in a statement on Friday.
The State Department said the embassy in Baghdad, which was attacked by Iran-backed militiamen and other protesters earlier this week, is closed and all consular services have been suspended.
Meanwhile, the NATO military alliance said it was monitoring the situation in Iraq closely.
“The safety of our personnel in Iraq is paramount. We continue to take all precautions necessary.”
Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned of a “harsh” retaliation
President Hasan Rouhani said Iran and the “free nations of the region” would take revenge on the United States for the killing.
Meanwhile, Iran has deployed F-14 fighter jets to the country’s borders.
The jets are hovering on the western skies (the boundary with Iraq) on alert and patrol.
