State Dept orders departure from Iraq of non-emergency government workers
at US Embassy
On the morning of Sunday, June 16th, 2019, the U.S. State Department issued a statement ordering the departure of all non-emergency U.S. government personnel from Iraq. This order was issued due to increased threats from Iran-backed militia forces in the region. This order affected personnel employed with the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, as well as three consulates located in the northern Kurdish city of Erbil, the southern Iraqi city of Basra, and the port city of Umm Qasr.