US prepares for potential response to militia attacks in Iraq: Spox

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Washington is concerned about the repeated attacks on US bases in Iraq by pro-Iran militias and is taking steps to ensure it has the capabilities to respond to the strikes if needed, a State Department spokesperson told Rudaw on Monday.

“These attacks… on US forces, on US interests in the region is something that we are greatly concerned about, and without getting into too many specifics, we are taking steps to ensure that we have the ability to prepare for those attacks and ability to respond if appropriate,” US Department of State Spokesperson Matthew Miller told Rudaw’s Diyar Kurda during a presser.

The US State Department on Sunday announced it was evacuating all non-emergency personnel from its embassy in Baghdad and consulate in Erbil because of recent attacks on US troops in Iraq. The department also updated its travel advisory to warn US citizens against traveling to Iraq.

Miller affirmed that the US diplomatic missions in Erbil and Baghdad currently remain open as Washington stays committed to its strategic partnership with Iraq, stressing that the travel advisory was raised out of concern for the safety and security of American citizens in Iraq and the rest of the region.

Iraqis angry with Washington’s support for Israel in the past week have protested near the US embassy in Baghdad, and Iran-backed militia groups have repeatedly carried out rocket and drone strikes against US bases in Anbar and Erbil provinces. 

On Wednesday, a US contractor died of a heart attack suffered while sheltering during an attack.

Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani on Sunday condemned the repeated strikes on bases hosting US troops in Iraq, stressing that Washington is in Iraq on an official invitation to support and train security forces.