Baghdad, Iraq – Iranian-backed militias carried out two overnight assaults targeting US diplomats and facilities in Iraq, the US State Department confirmed Sunday, amid rising tensions in the ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran.
A State Department spokesperson condemned the attacks, calling them “outrageous terrorist acts” and emphasizing that the US has repeatedly urged the Iraqi government to fulfill its responsibilities in protecting American personnel and facilities. “We have consistently urged the Iraqi government to immediately live up to its responsibility to stop attacks on U.S. facilities and to prevent terrorist militias from using Iraqi territory to launch attacks,” the spokesperson said.
The official added that the United States “will not hesitate to defend our personnel and facilities should the Iraqi government be unable to fulfill its obligations.” Details regarding the precise locations of the assaults were not disclosed.
The attacks come amid a series of strikes targeting US diplomatic sites across Iraq. According to previous reports, the US Embassy in Baghdad, the US Consulate General in Erbil, and the Baghdad Diplomatic Support Center have been repeatedly targeted since the start of the US and Israeli military campaign against Iran.
In response to the ongoing threat, the US State Department recently announced a reward of up to $3 million for information leading to the identification of those responsible for attacks on American diplomatic facilities in Iraq.
Images captured after a recent drone strike show smoke rising from an oil warehouse on the outskirts of Erbil, the capital of Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, highlighting the increasing risk to both civilian and diplomatic infrastructure in the region.
Analysts warn that such attacks heighten instability in Iraq and could further complicate international efforts to negotiate a de-escalation between Washington and Tehran. The situation underscores the delicate position of the Iraqi government, which faces pressure both from Iranian-linked militias operating within its borders and from the United States demanding protection for its personnel.
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