A US Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, was struck by a missile on Saturday as Iran continues attacks against neighboring countries following the start of Operation Epic Fury last month.
According to a report by The Washington Post, two senior Iraqi officials confirmed the attack on the embassy, saying the missile was launched from inside Iraq. Air raid sirens sounded across the area, and large plumes of smoke were seen rising from the compound. A structure on top of the embassy roof was reportedly damaged.
The embassy released a statement in which it said that Iran-backed militias have repeatedly attacked Baghdad’s International Zone and urged US citizens to leave Iraq immediately. Officials noted that the State Department has a level 4 “do not travel” advisory to Iraq.
“Do not travel to Iraq due to terrorism, kidnapping, armed conflict, civil unrest and the U.S. government’s limited ability to provide emergency services,” the advisory says.
As the conflict continues, President Donald Trump has urged nearby countries to send ships into the Strait of Hormuz in an effort to force Iran to reopen the strategic location. Iran has closed the choke point, which is critical for global oil shipments, as attacks from the US and Israel continue.
In a post on Truth Social, the president said that “many countries” will send “war ships” to the stait in order to keep it “open and safe.” While he did not name specific countries that had committed forces, he wrote, “Hopefully China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and others, that are affected by this artificial constraint, will send Ships to the area so that the Hormuz Strait will no longer be a threat by a Nation that has been totally decapitated. In the meantime, the United States will be bombing the hell out of the shoreline, and continually shooting Iranian Boats and Ships out of the water.”
