US State Department revises travel advisory for Iraq to Level 4

Replacing the previous travel advisory issued on July 13, 2023, the State Department issued the revised advisory after the ordered departure of eligible family members and non-emergency US government personnel from the US embassy in Baghdad and the US Consulate General in Erbil due to increased security threats.

On October 20, the State Department ordered the departure of eligible family members and non-emergency US government personnel from the US Embassy in Baghdad and the US Consulate General in Erbil due to increased security threats against US personnel and interests.

Attacks, using improvised explosive devices, indirect fire, and unmanned aerial vehicles, occurred in many areas of the country, including Baghdad and other major cities, it noted in the release.

During an emergency, consular services to US citizens in Iraq are limited due to severe restrictions on the movements of US government personnel.

It further asked US citizens not to travel near Iraq's northern borders due to the continued threat of attacks by terrorist groups, armed conflict, aerial bombardment, and civil unrest.

It added that US citizens should not travel through Iraq to engage in armed conflict in Syria, noting that there they would face extreme personal risks, including kidnapping, injury, or death, and legal risks like arrest, fines, and expulsion.

Meanwhile, the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq stated that "it will impose prison sentences of up to ten years on individuals who illegally cross the Iraq-Syria border".

Additionally, fighting on behalf of or supporting designated terrorist organisations is a crime under US law that can result in prison sentences and large fines in the United States.

Furthermore, owing to security concerns, US government personnel in Baghdad are asked not to use Baghdad International Airport.