Shafaq News- Baghdad
The US Embassy in Baghdad on Saturday urged American citizens in Iraq to remain on high alert, warning of possible travel disruptions, including sudden flight cancellations and airspace closures.
The embassy advised US citizens to monitor local media, follow instructions from local authorities, and seek shelter while avoiding falling debris in the event of an attack.
Security Alert: U.S. Embassy Baghdad and U.S. Consulate General Erbil - August 1, 2026 Event: Due to heightened tensions in the Middle East, the security environment remains complex with the potential for unforeseen escalation. Americans currently in the Middle East…
— U.S. Embassy Baghdad (@USEmbBaghdad) August 1, 2026
Earlier today, the US Embassies in Amman and Israel issued a similar advisory, urging American citizens across the Middle East to exercise heightened caution and prepare for possible flight cancellations and periodic airspace closures, accusing Iran and groups aligned with it of potentially targeting additional US interests abroad or locations associated with the United States and American citizens, including US companies and other institutions.
Security Alert: U.S. Embassy Jerusalem – August 1, 2026Due to heightened tensions in the Middle East, the security environment remains complex with the potential for unforeseen escalation.Americans currently in the Middle East should exercise caution and heightened vigilance… pic.twitter.com/lTAMRS9yKv
— U.S. Embassy Jerusalem (@usembassyjlm) August 1, 2026
The warnings came days after joint US-Saudi airstrikes targeted positions of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a state security force under the Iraqi government, in seven Iraqi provinces. At least 20 PMF members were killed and 32 others wounded in the strikes, which Washington and Riyadh said were launched in response to alleged attacks on US forces and Saudi energy facilities.
Iran-backed armed factions, including Saraya Awliya al-Dam, Harakat al-Nujaba, Asaib Ahl al-Haq, Ashab al-Kahf, and the Badr Organization, condemned the strikes in separate statements. Some called for the complete withdrawal of foreign forces from Iraq, the severance of diplomatic and economic ties with Saudi Arabia, and the expulsion of the Saudi ambassador.
Operating under the umbrella of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, the groups gave the Iraqi government until August 6 to demonstrate its ability to defend the country's sovereignty, warning that a response would be "inevitable."
Read more: Wednesday's US-Saudi attack on Iraq: What Is Known