The US Embassy in Baghdad has decided to withdraw some of its staff for security reasons, as US interests in the country have been targeted by a series of rocket attacks in recent months, said Iraqi officials told AFP.
Read also: The United States threatens to leave Iraq
"This is a minor withdrawal based on security concerns on the part of the Americans, they should come back, it is simply a precautionary measure
,
"
said an Iraqi source, speaking anonymously.
“They had informed us and the main diplomats, including the ambassador, remain there.
There is no diplomatic rupture
,
”
added this source.
According to a second Iraqi official, this partial withdrawal aims to
"minimize the risks"
, without specifying the number of American diplomats, of the few hundred present in the country, on departure.
The US State Department declined to comment, recalling that the security of US representatives, as well as its citizens and facilities
"remains our major priority"
, while specifying that Ambassador Matthew Tueller was still in Baghdad.
Read also: Iraq: Washington denounces "the danger" of pro-Iran militias after the death of civilians
As its personalities and interests have been the target of rocket attacks and road bombs, Washington has pointed to the responsibility of pro-Iranian groups, twice bombing one of them, Kataeb Hezbollah, as a sign retaliation.
Faced with the recurrence of attacks, the United States posed an ultimatum to Baghdad, threatening to close its representation there, leading pro-Iranian groups to agree on a
"truce" in
mid-October and causing the attacks to stop. .
Despite further rocket fire in several areas of the capital on November 17, causing the death of a girl, Iraqi officials and several Western officials believed that the truce could last but that Washington was still preparing various options including that of a partial withdrawal.
All expect several difficult weeks before the handover of power to the White House, while Donald Trump has pursued a strategy of
"maximum pressure"
with regard to Iran which has also concerned its allies in neighboring Iraq .
They do not rule out the possibility of last-minute military action on the part of the outgoing US president against Iranian interests in Iraq, while Donald Trump is due to leave power on January 20 in favor of Joe Biden, elected 46th president from the United States a month ago.