The U.S. State Department has updated its travel warning for Iraq and, in the latest summary, added a higher likelihood of an armed attack by the Iranian-backed Houthis.
The alert level and the risk indicators have not changed, and Iraq remains at level four—“do not travel for any reason.”
The warning cited Houthi hostilities against Saudi Arabia, including attacks on civilian airports and infrastructure, and noted that the Iraqi government cannot guarantee security against sudden violence.
The previous risks remain in place: kidnapping, attacks by the Islamic State group and militias aligned with the Islamic Republic, bombings, indirect fire, and drone attacks in major cities.
The State Department wrote that the U.S. government “has limited ability to provide emergency services to American citizens in Iraq due to security risks.” This wording was also present in earlier versions of the warning.
The Iraq warning has been at level four since February. In this month, the State Department instructed non-emergency personnel of the U.S. government to leave Iraq.
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