US withdraws part of staff from embassy in Iraq

US Ambassador Matthew Tueller confirmed on December 3rd a temporary “reduction of the staff” on the mission. In a video posted on the American Embassy Facebook page, Tueller said he and a leading team of diplomats and military advisers would continue to perform their duties. It is unclear how many of the hundreds of diplomats at the largest US embassy had withdrawn.

The decision comes until US President Donald Trump has stepped up pressure on Iran before the transition of power to President-elect Joe Biden, who has said he will try to revive diplomacy with Iran.

Beden is expected to step up efforts to reunify the nuclear agreement of world powers with Iran. Trump withdrew in 2018 from this deal. Beden has said he will work with the Allies to strengthen the terms of the agreement if Tehran first resumes engagement.

Tension has increased throughout the region following last week's assassination of Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fahrizadeh near Tehran. Iran has blamed Israel and, indirectly, the United States, increasing the possibility that Iran or one of its regional representatives will be avenged.

American officials have also voiced concern that, Iran or its Iraqi militia allies, could carry revenge action on the first anniversary of an attack on American fears that killed Iran's top general, Qasem Solejmani and the top Iraqi militia leader, near Baghdad Airport on January 3rd.

Partial withdrawal from the embassy is taking place after Trump last month has ordered a reduction of American troops in Iraq from 3,000 to 2,500 by mid-January.

In September, the Trump administration warned Iraq that it would close its embassy in Baghdad in response to repeated missile attacks and other attacks by Iranian-backed militia officers on American and Allied interests in the country. / REL