“Because of the escalation of tensions in Iraq and the region, the US Embassy is urging US citizens ... to leave Iraq immediately,” the statement said.
As noted, Americans should leave Iraq “by plane, if possible” or “by land.”
تنبيه أمني - سفارة الولايات المتحدة في بغداد ، العراق ، 3 كانون الثاني 2020
Security Alert - US Embassy Baghdad, Iraq, January 3, 2020https: //t.co/3Cd1N4x6b9
On January 3, the Pentagon said that during the US operation in Iraq, the IRGC General Kassem Suleimani was killed.
Iran called the killing of Suleimani “an act of international terrorism” and expressed strong opposition to the American side.
Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei threatened to avenge the assassination of the general.
The Russian Foreign Ministry commented on the murder, indicating that what happened would lead to tension throughout the region.