BFF-28 US orders non-emergency embassy staff to leave Baghdad, Arbil

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BFF-28

US-IRAQ-IRAN-POLITICS

US orders non-emergency embassy staff to leave Baghdad, Arbil

WASHINGTON, May 15, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – The US State Department on Wednesday
ordered all non-emergency staff to leave its embassy in Baghdad and consulate
in Arbil, as tensions mount between the United States and Iraq’s neighbor
Iran.

Washington has ramped up pressure on Tehran in recent days, accusing Iran
of planning “imminent” attacks in the region, and bolstering the American
military presence in the Gulf.

BSS/AFP/FI/ 1442 hrs