US personnel at the American embassy in Baghdad, which has come under attack by pro-Iran protesters, are safe and there are no plans to evacuate, the State Department says.
“Our first priority is the safety and security of US personnel,” a State Department spokesperson says in a statement. “US personnel are secure and there has been no breach,” the spokesperson says. “There are no plans to evacuate Embassy Baghdad.”
The US ambassador to Iraq, Matt Tueller, who had been away on “personal travel,” was returning to the embassy, the spokesperson adds.
Defense Secretary Mark Esper says that the Pentagon is deploying extra troops to Baghdad to provide security for the US embassy after the attack by pro-Iran protesters angered by US airstrikes over the weekend on Iranian-backed paramilitary forces.
“The Department of Defense is working closely with the Department of State to ensure the security of our Embassy and personnel in Baghdad,” Esper says in a statement. “We are sending additional forces to support our personnel at the embassy.”
Esper gave no details, but the deployment is likely to involve a small number of US Marines, according to a US defense source.
— AFP
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