Washington Warns Its Citizens in Iraq of Travel Disruptions and Airspace Closure - Sarmad

The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad has urged its citizens in Iraq to maintain the “highest level of vigilance” following drone attacks targeting the city of Erbil on Wednesday.

In a statement posted on X on Thursday, the embassy advised U.S. citizens to follow local media and comply with instructions from Iraqi authorities, warning of the possibility of disruptions to travel or airspace closures at short notice.

The embassy reminded U.S. citizens that a Level 4 travel advisory—“Do Not Travel”—is in effect for Iraq. U.S. citizens are advised: Do not travel to Iraq due to terrorism, kidnapping, armed conflict, civil unrest, and the limited ability of the U.S. government to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in Iraq. Do not travel to Iraq for any reason.

The advisory came after an Iraqi security source announced the interception of two drones that attempted to target Erbil Airport and the U.S. Consulate. Correspondents from the Agence France-Presse reported hearing explosions near the U.S. Consulate, as air defense systems were activated to shoot down drones flying over the city, amid rising plumes of smoke.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks, which coincide with the visit of Iraq’s new Prime Minister, Ali al-Idabi, to Washington, where he met with U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday.

The incident occurs amid a series of attacks targeting the Kurdistan Region, where U.S. forces are stationed, since the outbreak of the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran. Iraqi factions loyal to Iran have been blamed for most of these attacks.

For his part, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Idabi condemned the drone attack targeting Erbil’s airspace. He stated, “We reaffirm our zero tolerance toward these despicable attempts, which desperately seek to undermine the stability of our people and their confident path toward state-building and social peace.”

Al-Idabi noted that he had directed security agencies, in coordination with Kurdistan Region security forces, to take all necessary measures to prevent the recurrence of such attacks and to hold those responsible accountable.