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Iraq’s ambassador to the US, Nazar Al Khirullah, was summoned on Thursday by Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, after an attack on an American diplomatic facility in Baghdad.
Iraqi "terrorist militias” linked to Iran carried out drone attacks near the Baghdad Diplomatic Support Centre and Baghdad International Airport on Wednesday, the US embassy in the Iraqi capital said.
Mr Landau said Washington was aware of efforts by Iraqi security forces to respond, but criticised the Iraqi government's "failure to prevent the attacks", the State Department said in a statement. The US expects Baghdad to take measures to dismantle Iran-aligned militias in Iraq, it added.
It also said "some elements associated with the Iraqi government continue to actively provide political, financial and operational cover for the militias". Mr Landau said the US would not tolerate attacks on American interests, the State Department said.
Brett McGurk, who served as a key Middle East adviser to several US presidents, described the move as "significant" in a post on X. "The 'April 8 ambush of US diplomats in Baghdad'. That’s an attack by Iran – these militias operate under its direction – targeting US diplomats on the first day of an alleged ceasefire with the US," he said.
Earlier this week, the US embassy issued a warning over the threat of militias carrying out additional attacks against American citizens and US-related sites across Iraq, including in the Kurdistan region.
The embassy urged American citizens to leave the country after the outbreak of the regional war and advised them to travel by land. "US citizens should not travel within Iraq by air in light of the ongoing risk of missiles, drones and rockets in Iraqi airspace," he embassy said on Wednesday.
In recent weeks, hundreds of attacks have been launched against American citizens, diplomatic facilities and commercial interests, as well as Iraqi institutions and civilians, the State Department said.
American journalist Shelly Kittleson was also kidnapped in Iraq last week by a group with apparent ties to Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah. She has since been released.
The threat of attacks surged when the US and Israel began strikes on Iran on February 28. Iran responded with strikes on Israel and Gulf states with US bases, as the regional war widened. Iraq was caught in the crossfire due to the presence of US troops and Iran-backed groups on its territory.
