On 22 October 2023, the U.S. Department of State issued an updated Travel Advisory, which reads in part as follows: “Do not travel to Iraq due to terrorism, kidnapping, armed conflict, civil unrest, and Mission Iraq’s limited capacity to provide support to U.S. citizens. On October 20, 2023, the Department ordered the departure of eligible family members and non-emergency U.S. government personnel from U.S. Embassy Baghdad and U.S. Consulate General Erbil due to increased security threats against U.S. government personnel and interests.”
The full text of the advisory can be found here.
Analyst Comment: The U.S. Department of State has warned U.S. citizens against all travel to Iraq since 2016. The updated warning regarding the departure of non-emergency personnel reflects concerns regarding the safety of U.S. assets and personnel during possible actions taken by Iranian proxies and other organizations in response to the U.S. providing support to Israel amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict
