US warns of possible Iran-linked attacks on energy interests in Iraq

The United States Embassy in Baghdad warned on March 11 that Iran and its armed proxies in Iraq may be planning attacks on “US-owned oil and energy infrastructure,” amid continious strikes in the region.

In a security alert, the embassy said Iran-aligned groups had targeted hotels frequented by Americans in different parts of Iraq, including the Kurdistan region, and cautioned that US citizens in the country face a risk of kidnapping. Noting that attacks against Americans and US interests in Iraq have already occurred, it urged US nationals to exercise “extreme caution," Caliber.Az reports per foreign media. 

Recent incidents have taken place near the US Embassy in Baghdad and the US consulate in Erbil, further heightening security concerns.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani told US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a phone call this week that Baghdad would ensure the protection of American diplomatic missions and interests inside Iraq. He also stressed that Iraqi territory must not be used as a platform for military operations against neighbouring countries.

Al-Sudani did not publicly address the role of Iran-backed militias in Iraq, which analysts say have sought to draw the country into a broader regional confrontation.

Iraq has long balanced its strategic partnership with the United States against its political and economic ties with neighboring Iran, often finding itself caught between the two rivals.

By Sabina Mammadli