Washington: President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he expects Iraq to "use its forces" to protect the US embassy in Baghdad after pro-Iran protesters breached the outer wall of the compound.
"We expect Iraq to use its forces to protect the Embassy, and so notified!" Trump tweeted.
Iran killed an American contractor, wounding many. We strongly responded, and always will. Now Iran is orchestrating an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Iraq. They will be held fully responsible. In addition, we expect Iraq to use its forces to protect the Embassy, and so notified!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 31, 2019
Iraqi supporters of pro-Iran factions attacked the embassy early on Tuesday, breaching its outer wall and chanting "Death to America" in anger over weekend air strikes that killed two dozen fighters.
Iraq's caretaker premier Adel Abdel Mahdi said that crowds that had stormed the US embassy in anger at deadly US air strikes should leave the compound "immediately."
Demonstrators had breached the embassy walls in protest at the Sunday strikes that killed at least 25 fighters from a hardline pro-Iran faction known as Kataeb Hezbollah.
"We recall that any aggression or harassment of foreign embassies will be firmly prohibited by the security forces," Abdel Mahdi's office said several hours after the attack began.
It was the first time in years that protesters have been able to reach the US embassy, which is sheltered behind a series of checkpoints in the high-security Green Zone.
Trump blamed Iran for organising the attack and warned Tehran would be held accountable. "Now Iran is orchestrating an attack on the US Embassy in Iraq. They will be held fully responsible," he tweeted.
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