ALBAWABA - Additional American personnel from the United States diplomatic mission left Iraq last weekend amid the ongoing tension in the Middle East and the ongoing efforts by the US to reduce the number of embassy staff, AFP reported, citing a US official on Sunday.
The announcement was made following Donald Trump's statement that the US forces attacked three nuclear sites in Iran amid increasing tension and exchanged attacks between Iran and Israel in the past days.
On the other hand, the government in Iraq decried the "military escalation" that threatens "peace and stability in the Middle East" following Trump's announcement on Sunday.
The US official also added, "As part of our ongoing effort to streamline operations, additional personnel departed Iraq on June 21 and 22."
He said that earlier it carried out departing operations from Iraq "due to heightened regional tensions". However, the embassy and the consulate in the Middle Eastern country remain operational.
