U.S. Embassy in Iraq urges Americans to leave or seek shelter from Iran-aligned militias
The U.S. embassy headquarters in Iraq is pictured in Baghdad’s fortified “Green Zone” on March 8, 2026. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP via Getty Images) The United States issued a warning urging American citizens to leave Iraq immediately due to Iran-aligned militias carrying out attacks on targets associated with the U.S. across the country. On Friday, the U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Iraq issued a security alert pertinent to Americans in the region. “Iran and Iran-aligned terrorist militia groups pose a significant threat to public safety in Iraq,” the embassy warned. It added that the groups have attacked U.S. citizens, U.S. interests, U.S. businesses, and U.S.-operated energy infrastructure, and they “may continue to target them.” Hotels frequented by U.S. visitors have also been targeted by these groups, including in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region (IKR), and the embassy specifically called out kidnapping as a risk faced by Americans. “U.S. citizens are urged to remain vig...