Tolulope Ayeni 
The United States government has urged its citizens to leave Iraq immediately, this is coming after they killed a top Iranian General.
Qasem Soleimani (leader of Iran’s elite Quds Force unit of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps) was killed alongside Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the leader of Kata’ib Hezbollah also called Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) in Iraq.
A security alert issued by the US embassy in Baghdad and the State Department on Twitter, called on all American citizens to leave Iraq immediately. In its statement, the embassy said;
“#Iraq: Due to heightened tensions in Iraq and the region, we urge U.S. citizens to depart Iraq immediately. Due to Iranian-backed militia attacks at the U.S. Embassy compound, all consular operations are suspended. U.S. citizens should not approach the Embassy.”
#Iraq: Due to heightened tensions in Iraq and the region, we urge U.S. citizens to depart Iraq immediately. Due to Iranian-backed militia attacks at the U.S. Embassy compound, all consular operations are suspended. U.S. citizens should not approach the Embassy. pic.twitter.com/rdRce3Qr4a
— Travel – State Dept (@TravelGov) January 3, 2020
The security alert came hours after Iran promised “harsh retaliation” against the United States for an airstrike that killed top Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani at the Baghdad International Airport.
