IRAN/IRAQ/STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The State Department on Wednesday [5-15-19] ordered the evacuation of non-emergency staff from the U.S. Embassy in Iraq, a move that comes as the U.S. government has alluded to risks of an attack by the Islamic Republic or its proxies in the region. The Wednesday order follows a travel advisory posted on the embassy’s website Sunday [5-12-19] urging American citizens not to travel to Iraq and to remain vigilant. The department said in light of the heightened tensions, non-emergency staff at both the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and the U.S. Consulate in Erbil would be evacuated, adding that the government’s ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens there is ‘extremely limited.’ The State Department has also temporarily suspended normal visa services at both locations, Wednesday’s announcement said. Tensions with Tehran have heightened in recent weeks, with the U.S. adding additional sanctions targeting Iran in the wake of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s announcement that his nation would end its compliance with portions of a 2015 nuclear agreement unless the deal’s other signatories renegotiate. The U.S., which helped negotiate the deal under President Barack Obama, withdrew from it last year under President Donald Trump.”
–Caitlin Oprysko, “Amid rising tension with Iran, non-emergency staff evacuates U.S. Embassy in Iraq,” Politico, May 15, 2019 8:02 am