The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad has urged all American citizens to leave Iraq immediately following a missile and drone attack on the diplomatic compound and a separate strike on an oil refinery in Erbil.
The United States Embassy in Baghdad issued an urgent security alert on Saturday, March 14, 2026, directing all American citizens to depart Iraq immediately following an overnight missile strike on the embassy compound. Security sources reported that a missile struck a helipad within the heavily fortified Green Zone, causing visible smoke to rise from the facility, while Iranian state media claimed a “suicide drone” was simultaneously used to target the embassy’s radar systems.
In its updated travel advisory, the embassy warned that “US citizens choosing to remain in Iraq are strongly encouraged to reconsider in light of the significant threat posed by Iran-aligned terrorist militia groups.” This escalation in the capital coincided with a separate drone strike in northern Iraq that ignited a massive fire at the Lanaz refinery in Erbil, forcing provincial officials to suspend operations indefinitely until damage can be assessed.