US Embassy in Baghdad Advises ‘Heightened Readiness’ Among Americans in Iraq

The alert points citizens toward a Level 4 ‘Do Not Travel’ advisory as the embassy suggests possible travel disruptions with short notice could occur.

U.S. State Department Sikorsky HH-60L Black Hawk helicopters escort Secretary of State Antony Blinken as they fly over Baghdad towards the U.S. embassy headquarters on Dec. 13, 2024. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad on Wednesday advised Americans in Iraq to sustain heightened readiness amid regional flare-ups this week while emphasizing the longstanding Level 4 “Do Not Travel” advisory that had already been in place in the country. 

The alert, posted on the U.S. Department of State’s official TravelGov account on X, warned that U.S. citizens in Iraq “are advised to maintain heightened readiness and stay alert to local news sources.” Travel disruptions and airspace closures could happen on short notice, the State Department stated.