U.S. warns of Baghdad embassy closure if attacks continue
The Trump BAGHDAD — administration has warned Iraq that it will close its embassy in Baghdad if the government does not take swift and decisive action to end persistent rocket and other attacks by Iranian-backed militias and rogue armed elements on American and allied interests in the country, U.S., Iraqi and other officials said Monday.
As news of the warning sent shockwaves across Baghdad, Iraq’s military said a Katyusha rocket hit near Baghdad airport, killing five Iraqi civilians and severelywounding two others.
A U.S. official said the administration’ s warning was givento both Iraq’s president and prime minister but that it was not an imminent ultimatum.
The warning signals the administration’s increasing frustration and anger with ongoing rocket fire fromIranian-supported groups onor
near the vast U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad as it steps up pressure on Iran with the re-imposition of crippling sanctions. However, closing the embassy and withdrawingU.S. personnel fromBaghdad would signal a significant retreat froma country in which successive administrations have invested massive amounts ofmoneyand lives.
The threat to evacuate the embassy, which has stoked
concerns in Baghdad of a diplomatic crisis, was first delivered to President Barham Saleh on Tuesday in a phone call with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Iraqi officials said. Pompeo then repeated the warning to Iraqi Prime MinisterMustafa al-Kadhimi on Saturday, the officials said.
Pompeo told Saleh that if the U.S. presence continues to be targeted, measureswould betakentoclose theembassy and a “strong and violent” response would follow against the groups responsible for the attacks, according to three Iraqi officials with knowledge of the call.
Pompeowent further with al-Kadhimi on Saturday, telling the prime minister that the U.S. will initiate plans to withdrawfromthe embassy, according tothe Iraqiofficials who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.
An official announcement has not been made by the Americans. But the Trump administration has not been shy about expressing its anger and concern about continuing rocket attacks by Iranian-backed groups on or near the embassy compound.
In a tangible sign of a strain inU.S.-Iraqrelations, theState Department shortened an Iran sanctions waiver deadline by 60 days last week. The previous waiver, crucial for Iraq to import badly needed Iranian gas to meet power demands, gave the government 120 days.