The US State Department issued a statement on Sunday advising US citizens against travelling to Iraq in light of recent attacks on American troops and personnel in the region. The travel advisory explicitly cautions against visiting Iraq due to a combination of factors including terrorism, kidnapping, armed conflict, civil unrest, and the limited capacity of Mission Iraq to provide support to US citizens.
The escalation of attacks against US forces in Iraq and Syria has coincided with the conflict between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza. Last week, a US warship intercepted and destroyed over a dozen drones and four cruise missiles launched by Iranian-backed Houthis from Yemen.
The travel advisory comes as a response to the ordered departure of eligible family members and non-emergency US government personnel from the US Embassy in Baghdad and the US Consulate General in Erbil. The evacuation was prompted by heightened security threats against US personnel and interests in the region, as per the State Department's statement.
With regional tensions escalating during the Israel-Hamas conflict, the United States remains vigilant regarding activities by Iran-backed groups. The conflict was initiated when the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas launched an attack on Israel on October 7, resulting in the deaths of over 1,400 people.
In retaliation, Israel has carried out airstrikes in Gaza, a 45-kilometer (25-mile) strip of land that is part of the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories and home to 2.3 million people under the political rule of Hamas since 2006. Palestinian officials claim that Israel's airstrikes have caused the deaths of over 4,700 individuals.
The State Department has issued instructions for US government personnel in Baghdad, advising them not to utilize Baghdad International Airport due to security concerns.
Recent weeks have seen a significant deployment of US naval assets to the Middle East, including two aircraft carriers, accompanying support vessels, and approximately 2,000 Marines.
Moreover, the Pentagon announced on Saturday that the US will send a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system and additional Patriot air defence missile system battalions to the Middle East.
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