Iraq's Al-Sadr Calls for Shutdown of US Mission
ERBIL — Iraqi prominent Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr on Friday urged the Iraqi government and parliament to shut down the US embassy in Baghdad in response to the US backing of Israel amid the escalating conflict in the Gaza Strip.
In a statement he shared on X, the Shia cleric called on Iraq's government and parliament to unite and approve demands calling for the shutdown of the US mission in the country in protest to Washington’s support for Israel in the ongoing war with Hamas forces in the Gaza Strip.
However, he urged the Iraqi government and military forces to protect foreign missions in the country amid recurrent attacks targeting US bases in Anbar and the Kurdistan Region in recent days.
Baghdad has expressed support for Palestine amid the ongoing conflict with Israel, and also called for a continued flow of humanitarian aid and also containment of the conflict.
In response to these security threats, the US government on Sunday decided to evacuate non-essential personnel from its embassy in Baghdad. Washington has since updated its travel advisory too, strongly encouraging its citizens to avoid traveling to Iraq.
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