“Iraqi terrorist militia groups aligned with Iran conducted multiple drone attacks in the vicinity of the Baghdad Diplomatic Support Center and Baghdad International Airport on April 8. They may intend to conduct additional terrorist attacks against U.S. citizens and targets associated with the United States throughout Iraq, including in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region (IKR),” said the embassy in a statement.
Following the ceasefire, the Iraqi and Kurdish authorities announced plans to resume flights, which had been largely halted since the US-Israel war against Iran began on February 28.
The embassy advised American citizens not to travel within Iraq by air as long as the risks of missile and drone attacks remain.
“U.S. citizens in Iraq should leave now via overland routes,” said the mission.
Shortly after the US and Iran announced a two-week ceasefire, Iraqi armed groups operating under the banner of the “Islamic Resistance in Iraq” announced a pause in their attacks across Iraq and the wider region.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq is a loose coalition of mostly Shiite armed factions aligned with and backed by Iran. Since the outbreak of hostilities on February 28 between Iran, the United States, and Israel, the group has intensified its operations, targeting US military bases, diplomatic facilities, and locations in the Kurdistan Region.
The group said its decision to halt attacks for two weeks comes in parallel with the ceasefire, signaling a potential de-escalation after more than a month of sustained violence.
According to figures released by the group, it has carried out or claimed responsibility for 831 attacks over the course of 39 days of conflict. Most of these strikes involved drones and missiles and were launched in different parts of Iraq and neighboring areas.
A significant number of the attacks were directed at the Kurdistan Region, where authorities have repeatedly condemned strikes hitting civilian areas, infrastructure, and security forces. Officials in Erbil have said the Region has been disproportionately targeted despite not being a party to the conflict.